Rebecca Bryson Says Northern Ireland ADHD Gap Costs Family £4,000

What changed

Northern Ireland has no formally commissioned, publicly funded adult ADHD pathway, leaving trusts to manage referrals within existing resources and long waiting lists. Rebecca Bryson says she and her husband, who also has ADHD, spend about £4,000 a year on private psychiatric reviews, prescriptions and medication.

Why it matters

That figure turns a policy gap into a household bill. Bryson says she can afford treatment because she works multiple jobs, while many people cannot.

The problem does not end with the private appointment. Some GPs may be unwilling or unable to prescribe through shared-care arrangements when private diagnostic information is unavailable, because the GP remains responsible for the prescription. A diagnosis can therefore fail to deliver a workable route to ongoing care.

The Department of Health acknowledges rising demand but says decisions must reflect overall affordability. That makes the immediate outlook depend on whether Northern Ireland creates a funded adult pathway, and how quickly it can provide assessment, medication and follow-up care. No funding decision or timetable has been reported.