Pioneered in the East Midlands the Focus ADHD programme has been shortlisted for Best Mental Health Partnership with the NHS at the HSJ Partnership Awards 2022, recognising an outstanding contribution to healthcare – in what has been an exceptional and challenging period across the sector.

Focus ADHD is a national AHSN Network programme that is improving the assessment process for children and young people with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. The programme uses an objective assessment tool – a computer-based test (QbTest), to measure attention, impulsivity and motor activity all at the same time to support ADHD diagnosis in children.

With support from health and care staff, the programme is now benefitting thousands of children and young people across the country. 51 trusts (100 sites) across England are providing objective assessments within their ADHD pathway using QbTest.

The Focus ADHD programme enables NHS mental health trusts and community paediatric services to improve the assessment process. There is no simple test to determine whether a child has ADHD. The process for diagnosing ADHD can include multiple steps and is based on clinical judgement informed by subjective reports from parents, teachers and observation of the patient.

The interventions made as part of the Focus ADHD programme have shown a reduction in time from assessment to diagnosis by 153 days (median). It also increases staff capacity by reducing the number of appointments needed for diagnosis by one appointment for each patient.

Despite the pausing of face to face appointments during the Covid-19 pandemic more than 20,000 young people aged 6-18 years benefited from an objective assessment for ADHD between April 2020 and October 2021.

Nicole McGlennon, Managing Director, East Midlands AHSN said: “I am delighted to see Focus ADHD has been shortlisted for a HSJ Partnership Award for the best mental health partnership with the NHS.

This recognition is a testament to the dedication and hard work of the AHSN Network, Qbtech and our dedicated NHS teams across England. I wish the team the best of luck.” 

Tony Doyle, Managing Director, QbTech Ltd added: “We are humbled to be shortlisted for this award. Partnership is the keyword here, the shortlist reflects the hard work of the AHSN and the Focus ADHD programme, which has now brought objective testing for ADHD to 51 NHS Trusts since its inception. A demonstration of how technology, innovation, and leadership combine to get results for patients and their families."

The AHSN network continues to spread the intervention into new sites so that even more children and young people can benefit from this transformative innovation.

The selected winners will be announced during the awards ceremony at Westminster Park Plaza, London on March 24th 2022.

The full list of nominees for the HSJ Partnership Awards 2022 can be found on https://partnership.hsj.co.uk/finalists-2022 

Find out more about the Focus ADHD  programme’s national success and how this has impacted a family’s life