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If left untreated as a child ADHD can lead to significant problems later in life. During ADHD Awareness Month, we would like to raise awareness of the Focus ADHD programme and the importance of an early diagnosis.

QbTest uses objective assessments to diagnose this condition helping to improve patient experience and patients require fewer appointments before being diagnosed. This allows staff to spend time with more patients and reduce waiting lists which have increased during the Covid pandemic.

In our region we helped the adoption of the Focus ADHD programme in 9 trusts across 14 sites completing more than 2,000 tests.

QbTest is not a standalone test; but it can supply important data to help inform a clinician’s diagnosis. Pioneered in the East Midlands, QbTest is an approved computer-supported objective test which measures attention, motor activity and impulsivity – the core symptoms of ADHD. The results are instantly analysed and presented in a report which compares a patients’ results against a normative dataset based on age and gender. ADHD practitioners then use information from the QbTest report alongside their clinical assessment to inform their decision whether the young person has ADHD or not.

As part of the Focus ADHD National Programme – funded by the Accelerated Access Collaborative – all 15 Academic Health Science Networks across England are supporting clinical services to improve their ADHD assessment pathway with the implementation of QbTest.

The Focus ADHD programme can have a positive impact on young people and families by reducing the number of appointments needed for clinical diagnosis, meaning that clinicians can see more patients. The new pathway can also generate increased clinical confidence and understanding while increasing efficiencies for the service.

Mark Dines Allen, East Midlands and Yorkshire & Humber AHSN, said: “The Focus ADHD national programme is a brilliant example of what can be achieved through dedicated, multi-sector, collaborative leadership. We have been successful in implementing this evidence-based intervention across 65 trusts across England including all 9 trusts that offer ADHD assessments to children across Yorkshire and the Humber. The Focus ADHD programme helps to improve timely access to assessment and diagnosis for children and families”.

Find out more about the programme

Watch the video to see how it has impacted one family’s life.