A ‘silent’ NHS crisis is gripping the nation – and desperate patients are going to extreme lengths to combat it
IT’S no secret the NHS is in crisis.
A&E departments are overwhelmed, staff are at breaking point, patients are treated and have died in corridors — and this week Sir Keir Starmer announced the abolition of NHS England, cutting 10,000 jobs.
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But behind the front line, another “silent” NHS crisis is unfolding.
An estimated 150,000 Brits have been left feeling vulnerable and desperate by a shortage of vital drugs, including for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
Tom Evans, 27, told Sun Health: “Just when I finally had a real chance at life, it was ripped away from me,” recalling when he was told he could not get his prescription.
“It was unbelievably stressful.”
Another victim of the shortages, David Gross, said: “My university degree, my friendships — everything was on the line.”
Tom and David are among two million people with ADHD, who rely on medication to manage their debilitating symptoms.
Prescriptions for ADHD drugs have risen by 18 per cent since the pandemic, driven by increased awareness on social media, the University of Huddersfield said last week.
NHS data shows three million prescriptions for ADHD are issued annually.
But since September 2023, global shortages, caused by manufacturing issues and rising demand, have left many without their meds.
Everyday tasks, such as holding down a job or enjoying relationships, can become challenging — even impossible — for those with ADHD.
That’s why Tom, David and many others, have flocked to private clinics to secure a medical cannabis prescription.
One clinic, Mamedica, has seen a 540 per cent rise in ADHD patients since the shortages began.
Dr Imogen Kretzschmar, consultant psychiatrist at the clinic, says: “Medical cannabis treats the symptoms of ADHD people struggle with the most.”
However, some experts warn the evidence is lacking and patients could be putting themselves at risk.
Henry Shelford, the CEO of ADHD UK, said: “It’s scary. People only turn to options like this out of desperation.
“ADHD already comes with a high risk of addiction and suicide, and introducing a drug like this could have unpredictable and dangerous consequences.”
Professor Edward Chesney, from the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience at King’s College London, is “not surprised” to see the cannabis industry “pushing it” as a treatment for ADHD.
He said: “It makes sense, given its tendency to market cannabis as a solution for almost every condition under the sun.
“I’d be very disappointed if doctors in the UK are prescribing cannabis as an alternative. The evidence supporting its use is trivial.”
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But Dr Kretzschmar, who prescribes medical cannabis for various conditions, believes it is very effective for ADHD.
She says: “Just as when you’re prescribed any medication, we screen people — you don’t just get medical cannabis dished out.
“It’s a controlled drug prescription following a medical consultation with a specialist, who takes everything into account, including medical history.”
Dangerous consequences
Medical cannabis refers to its use to relieve symptoms of an illness or disease.
It is only legal in the UK if you have an NHS or private prescription.
However, possessing the class B drug without a prescription, even for medicinal purposes, is a crime punishable by up to five years in prison.
NHS prescriptions are rare and limited to patients with severe forms of epilepsy, vomiting or chemotherapy-induced nausea, and multiple sclerosis.
It’s considered a last resort after other treatments are found to be unsuitable.
In the five years to May 2024, just 110 NHS prescriptions were issued.
Meanwhile, ADHD patients can self-refer to private clinics, which require proof of an ADHD diagnosis and that at least two other treatments have failed.
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Cannabis clinic Curaleaf has seen a 65 per cent surge in ADHD patients since September 2023.
An estimated 2.6million people in the UK have ADHD, with adult diagnoses rising 20-fold since 2000, according to a study by University College London.
Tom, from Brighton, who was prescribed medical cannabis privately six months ago after struggling to find Ritalin, says it’s “transformed” his life.
He said: “Even if I could get ADHD medication, I’d prefer to stay on medical cannabis.
“It lifts my mood, improves my focus and doesn’t interrupt my sleep.”
After struggling with the condition undiagnosed for years, Tom first took Ritalin, a stimulant which improves focus, in 2023.
He explains: “I struggled to focus properly in school and drifted off during university presentations.
“I couldn’t regulate my emotions and was hyper-sensitive.”
Just when I finally had a real chance at life, it was ripped away from me
Tom Evans
Before his diagnosis, Tom’s inattentiveness meant he struggled to hold down a job for more than three months, as he was unable to show up on time and made mistakes.
However, he noticed a major shift within just a few days of starting Ritalin and began to excel at his new job as a caretaker.
Tom says: “I was given extra responsibility, and my boss even seemed to like me. I was so focused and productive all of a sudden.”
But in March last year, Tom’s pharmacist ran out of Ritalin.
Tom rationed his remaining pills and searched other pharmacies, but had no luck.
As his symptoms worsened, he struggled at work with his boss thinking he was just lazy.
Desperate, he turned to medical cannabis, which has made a huge difference to his work and “overall happiness”.
Tom adds: “Before cannabis, my mind was always racing.
“Now, it’s quiet — it’s made a huge difference to my overall happiness.
“I can regulate my emotions better, and I don’t automatically assume everyone hates me. It has been life-changing.”
He has since taken on another job as a content creator, building a combined following of over 70,000 across YouTube, Instagram and TikTok.
The 9 ‘hidden’ signs of ADHD in adults
ADHD has long been associated with naughty schoolkids who cannot sit still in class.
And that is part of it. Fidgeting, daydreaming and getting easily distracted are all symptoms of the behavioural condition, which is why it is often spotted in children.
However, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is far more complex than simply having trouble focusing.
Henry Shelford, CEO and co-founder of ADHD UK, says: “If it isn’t debilitating, it isn’t ADHD.”
In recent years, social media has given rise to trends which conflate specific personality traits or single behaviours with ADHD.
You might be thinking, ‘I’m always losing my keys, forgetting birthdays and I can never concentrate at work — I must have ADHD’. But it’s not as simple as that.
Though these may all point to the condition, Dr Elena Touroni, a consultant psychologist and co-founder of The Chelsea Psychology Clinic, says: “The key distinction lies in how much a behaviour impacts a person’s daily life.
“Genuine ADHD symptoms affect multiple areas of life – work, relationships and emotional wellbeing – whereas personality traits are typically context-dependent and less disruptive.”
ADHD UK’s Henry, who has the condition himself, adds: “Having ADHD is hard. One in ten men with ADHD and one in four women with ADHD will at some point try to take their own lives.”
So how can ADHD manifest in someone’s life? While hyperactivity is a common indicator, here are nine other subtle signs:
- Time blindness – losing track of time, underestimating how long tasks will take, regularly being late or excessively early
- Lack of organisation – a messy home, frequently misplacing items, forgetting deadlines
- Hyperfocus – becoming deeply engrossed in activities for hours
- Procrastination – feeling overwhelmed by to-do lists and struggling to determine what needs your attention first so focusing on less important tasks
- Heightened emotions – emotional struggles can manifest in angry outbursts, feeling flooded with joy or shutting down because you feel too much at once
- Being a ‘yes man’ – agreeing to new projects at work or dinner dates with friends when you’re already busy (a desire to please)
- Impatience – interrupting people mid-conversation, finding it painful to stand in a queue, being overly chatty
- Restlessness – tapping, pacing, fidgeting or feeling restless on the inside
- Easily distracted – by external things, like noises, or internal things like thoughts
David, 29, was diagnosed with ADHD at four and relied on Ritalin to manage symptoms.
He said: “I was impulsive and disruptive, and I struggled to focus. Teachers would tell my parents I was too boisterous. I’d get into fights and say things I shouldn’t.”
But medication allowed him to excel academically.
Originally from South Africa, David moved to the UK in 2022 to study for a Master’s degree at the London School of Economics, receiving ADHD medication through the NHS.
But when shortages began the following year, his access to medication through a student visa was revoked.
It was the first time he’d been without medication since he was a child.
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David says: “I felt trapped. I needed the medicine to focus on my thesis.
“I’d say the wrong thing all the time, which upset people.”
Unable to afford private ADHD meds, costing £150 a month, he rationed his pills until his parents brought a one-month supply from South Africa.
Then, David started working for a medical cannabis clinic, where he discovered it could help his ADHD.
Within a month, David had an assessment at Mamedica — a different clinic to the one he was working for.
Within three weeks, he had received his first month prescription, at a cost of £100.
“My brain feels so relaxed,” says David, now head of research at a property investment firm in London.
“I am suddenly able to focus totally on my work and not get distracted by everything around me.
“I’m a lot less anxious, which has improved my relationships with my friends and wife.
“I feel like I almost always know the mature thing to say and when to hold back.”
I felt trapped. I needed the medicine to focus on my thesis. I’d say the wrong thing all the time, which upset people
David
Professor Chesney is adamant there is a lack of evidence supporting the use of medical cannabis as a treatment for ADHD.
He claims there is actually more evidence that cutting down or stopping cannabis use altogether can improve ADHD symptoms in the long term.
A 2023 review in the Journal of Psychiatric Research found cannabis often worsens focus and memory, even if it may help with symptoms like a racing mind.
What are the risks of medical cannabis?
In a medical sense, using cannabis may sound safe. But there are some risks to consider that crossover with using it recreationally.
Medicinal cannabis contains tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive compound that makes people who smoke it recreationally ‘high’.
This may lead to feelings of anxiety, paranoia and agitation, affect decision-making and impair normal functioning (so should not be used when driving, for example).
UK law prohibits driving under the influence of THC, even if consumed as part of a prescribed treatment.
The NHS lists the potential side effects of medical cannabis as:
- decreased appetite
- diarrhoea
- feeling sick
- weakness
- a behavioural or mood change
- dizziness
- feeling very tired
- feeling high
- hallucinations
- suicidal thoughts
While using medical cannabis for a health condition may not lead to addiction, it may lead to dependency, which is when you may physically rely on a substance but not necessarily misuse it, as with addiction.
It means you could experience withdrawal symptoms, such as irritability, insomnia, and loss of appetite, if use is stopped abruptly.
Physical health risks include that THC can increase your heart rate and blood pressure, which may be dangerous in those with pre-existing heart problems.
Possible drug interactions should also be considered. The NHS warns to always discuss any potential interactions with a specialist.
While medicinal cannabis has shown promise – and been approved for – conditions such as multiple sclerosis and epilepsy, robust clinical data is still lacking for many other uses.
It means that patients who use it are doing so at the risk that safety and efficacy is not fully established.
Similarly, a 2022 study in the Journal of Medical Internet Research linked quitting cannabis to reduced anxiety and better mental health.
Cannabis can also interact negatively with ADHD meds, potentially putting strain on the heart, according to a 2015 study in the Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment.
Professor Chesney adds: “Cannabis is far more addictive than people realise.
“Daily cannabis users will experience withdrawal symptoms, such as anxiety, insomnia and low mood, but these are often misattributed to an illness.”
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson added: “This government inherited a broken NHS alongside global supply problems that continue to affect the availability of medicines, and we know how distressing medicine supply issues can be for patients.
“We are working with the industry and the NHS to resolve issues, including those affecting ADHD medication.
“When prescribing an unlicensed medicine, such as a cannabis-based medicine, specialist clinicians must be satisfied that there is a sufficient evidence base to show the medicine is safe and efficient.”
Can’t get your meds? Here’s what you should do…
By Henry Shelford, CEO of ADHD UK
THOSE affected by medication shortages should discuss alternative brands or different strengths of the same medication with their specialist, writes Henry Shelford, CEO of the charity ADHD UK.
This is because GPs often can’t switch medication brands, as this requires a specialist’s input.
If you don’t have direct access to your specialist, consider asking your GP about using the “right to choose” scheme, which allows you to establish a specialist relationship elsewhere.
To stay informed about available stock, visit the pharmacy services website for updates.
For those who can afford it, private care is an option, though it involves both the consultation fee and medication costs.
Some GPs may agree to a shared care agreement, which allows your prescription to be covered by the NHS rather than requiring private payment.