Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust is pleased to announce that it is expanding its North Devon District Hospital (NDDH) service providing care for children and young people who have been referred for treatment and diagnosis with non-complex ADHD.

The team at NDDH already provides care for children with non-complex ADHD up to the age of five and this change will enable them to offer continuous care and treatment as patients develop and grow into adulthood.

Care for children over the age of five with non-complex ADHD was formerly delivered by The Devon Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS). CAMHS will continue to provide care for children with complex AHDH* but will transfer their non-complex ADHD cases to the team at NDDH.

We know that the decision by CAMHS to step back from the provision of their service for this particular group has meant that some families have experienced worry and delay. We are sorry for this and want to reassure everyone that we are doing everything we can to ensure a smooth and safe transition of care.

The service has now been formally transferred to us and our priority is to contact patients and their families as quickly as possible with details of their care moving forward. Where possible we ask you to avoid contacting us with questions about the waitlist for the time being so that we can complete this task as quickly as possible. Please see below a set of FAQs for more information.

*Complex ADHD is generally defined as ADHD with a co-occurring condition.

We hope the following FAQs will answer any questions you may have about this new service:

1. Why are ADHD services transferring?

The Devon Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) is no longer able to provide a service for non-complex ADHD patients.

As a result, patients needing initial diagnostic and treatment pathways for non-complex ADHD in North Devon will be referred to the team at North Devon District Hospital (NDDH). The team at NDDH will be responsible for ADHD diagnosis and ongoing treatment to adulthood, ensuring continuity and consistency of care.

2. Do I need to do anything to make sure that my child’s care is transferred?

If your child was a non-complex ADHD patient with CAMHS then you do not need to take any action. Their case notes will be transferred to our team at NDDH and we will be in touch as quickly as we can with details on how we will work with you to manage their care moving forward.

3. How will the team at NDDH know about my child’s condition?

NDDH and Children and Family Health Devon are working together to transfer details of your child’s care and treatment. We will ensure the new ADHD team have secure access to all relevant information about your child including all the care records.

4. What care can the team at NDDH provide?

The team at NDDH already provide diagnostic and treatment pathways for children under the age of five. This change will extend that service to children older than five and young people.

The paediatric consultant and multidisciplinary team at NDDH have considerable expertise in the diagnosis and treatment of ADHD. When reaching a diagnosis, the team use a number of tools that include questionnaires, interviews with the child and other significant people such as parents, care providers and teachers.

5. What do I do if my child’s medication needs renewing before I hear from the new team?

If your child’s ADHD medication is usually prescribed by your GP, please order your repeat prescription as normal.

Our team has been actively identifying children who have ADHD medication which can only be prescribed or reviewed by a consultant and are issuing repeat prescriptions where necessary.

Once you have been contacted by the team at NDDH they will provide ADHD medication reviews and follow-up appointments to ensure that children and young people are not left without essential medication. Review appointments typically happen every 6 months.

6. When should I contact my GP about my child’s care?

If your child has an existing diagnosis and requires repeat medication your GP should be able to continue to offer this service. They may require you to attend an appointment to provide basic healthcare checks.
However, if your child has not yet been seen and diagnosed, you will need to make an appointment with your

GP to discuss your child’s needs and where appropriate request a referral in the normal manner.

7. Who should I contact about my child’s ADHD treatment?

If you are worried about your child, you should speak to your GP who will refer them for diagnosis and treatment. Once you have been referred and seen by the team at NDDH they will be make sure you have information about how to contact them.

8. Why can’t my child continue to be treated by their current team at CAHMS?

The team at CAMHS are no longer able to provide a service for children with non-complex ADHD.
Moving the service for non-complex ADHD to the team at NDDH will ensure continuity of care moving forward.

9. My child has been discharged from the ADHD service at CAMHS. What do I do if I feel they need to be seen again?

If your child has been discharged it’s good news. It means that they are stable, don’t need medication and that there is no need for current clinical supervision.

If you see a change in your child’s behaviour or have new concerns, you will need to make a new appointment with your GP to discuss a new referral to the Royal Devon.

10. My child is currently stable, but sometimes feels they need additional support with their mental health. What is there that could help?

In this case you should speak to your child’s school counsellor, social worker or GP about being referred to CAMHS.

CAMHS referral centre can link you with specialist NHS services and partner organisations, providing mental health and emotional support in Devon.