A trailblazing programme that has been transforming ADHD diagnosis for children and young people, has scooped its 4th major national award.

Focus ADHD – a three-year programme across England, led by the East Midlands AHSN – was the winner in the Innovation Spread category at the Innovate Awards, which were presented on 21 September.

The programme ran between 2020 and 2023 and supported NHS trusts to implement a new pathway for their ADHD services.

It has helped transform outcomes for thousands of families by reducing the time to diagnosis, so they get the right support faster.

By the end of the programme in March 2023, it was being delivered in 137 sites across England (around two thirds of all NHS trusts that provide ADHD assessments) and more 55,000 children and young people had benefited.

Originally piloted in the East Midlands in 2017, the project was adopted by all AHSNs and was then rapidly spread throughout England from April 2020.

The programme uses innovative technology developed by Qbtech Ltd called the QbTest – an approved computer-supported objective test which measures attention, motor activity and impulsivity, which are the core symptoms of ADHD.

The results are instantly analysed and presented in a report which ADHD practitioners use alongside their clinical assessment to inform their decision on whether the young person has ADHD or not.

The intervention has shown a big reduction in time from assessment to diagnosis by an average of 153 days, increasing staff capacity by reducing the number of appointments needed for diagnosis.

In March 2023 the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) published a Medical Innovation Briefing (MIB) highlighting the benefits of objective testing technology (QbTest) when used as part of a comprehensive ADHD assessment.

East Midlands AHSN Managing Director Nicole McGlennon said:  “It’s fantastic that the Focus ADHD programme has won its 4th national award – this recognises the outstanding impacts of the partnership and collaborative working across all 15 AHSNs, with Qbtech Ltd and with the ADHD service providers across the country.

“It’s also a great example of how the AHSNs are able to take a new technology or way of working that’s proven to work in one area, and very quickly drive its spread across the country, so that technologies are able to more quickly benefit patients.”

Whilst the AHSN national programme ended in March 2023, the pathway continues to be delivered across England.

This is the 4th national award for the programme, the other accolades are:

National Mental Health and Wellbeing Awards 2022 – Innovative Mental Health Intervention.HSJ Partnership Awards 2022 – Best Mental Health Partnership.HSJ Awards 2018 – Innovation in Mental Health.

Find out more about this ground-breaking programme.