'Not ill at all' young people getting diagnosed with 'fashionable' ADHD, peer claims
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A peer has claimed ADHD is a "fashionable disorder" and that many diagnosed with the condition are "not that ill or not ill at all". Baroness Claire Fox, who used to be a member of the Brexit Party, spoke about attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in a debate in the House of Lords.
She said there was an 18% rise in ADHD prescriptions between April 2023 and March 2024. Many NHS trusts have stopped diagnosing ADHD and prescribing medication to adults, and there are long waiting lists for children to get appointments. However, private clinics can offer diagnosis and medication on the NHS in some cases - although there have been questions raised about the robustness of their practices.
Baroness Fox said: "Isn't it tragic that so many people want their children, or want themselves, to have these drugs in order to feel that they can cope? When they're actually, really, not that ill, or not ill at all, but they've got the label. Peers were debating the Mental Health Bill.
Sue Gray, Sir Keir Starmer's former chief of staff, nominated for peerage. Syria, Lords, Christmas - Answer the question special. Baroness Catherine Meyer facing three week suspension for calling peer 'Lord Poppadom' and touching MP's hair. The peer claimed "therapeutic experts, councillors and psychological practitioners" are becoming "diagnostically trigger happy in labelling people as ill".
