PEOPLE with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in Southend are facing a postcode lottery for treatment after almost all local GP practices stopped prescribing medication for new patients.
A report by SEND the Right Message, a parent-led charity supporting families with special educational needs and disabilities, reveals that 95 per cent of Southend GP surgeries have opted out of shared-care agreements for ADHD since late 2024.
This means newly diagnosed patients – whether through NHS services, private assessments or Right to Choose pathways – cannot access prescriptions through their GP.
The charity, which represents more than 1,700 families across Southend, Castle Point and Rochford, says the decision has left many without vital medication.
Case studies in STRM’s report highlight the impact. One mother, “Jenny”, borrowed £4,000 for private ADHD assessments for herself and her two children. After shared-care was withdrawn, and she was told all prescriptions would cease within three months, she faced losing her business, her driving licence, and her children’s educational progress.
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Figures from the Mid and South Essex Integrated Care Board show stark disparities. In Southend, 95 per cent of practices have opted out, compared to 54 per cent in Castle Point and 80 per cent in Rochford.
By contrast, most GP surgeries in Basildon, Brentwood and Thurrock remain opted in.
The Essex Local Medical Committee advised GPs to withdraw from ADHD shared-care agreements in November 2024, citing the collapse of prescribing arrangements between practices and the ICB.
Tricia Cowdrey, Green Party candidate for Shoebury, said: “This wasn’t a blanket NHS decision. It’s been a gradual change by GP practices over 18 months. Families who paid for private assessments to ease NHS pressure now can’t access medication to manage daily life.”
Ms Cowdrey added: “We now have a postcode lottery for these and other medications.”
Colin Nickless, a parent advocate, added: “Stopping access to medication has huge implications for mental health, education and employment. Decisions are being made on financial grounds without assessing the wider cost to public services.”
STRM is calling for urgent action to restore prescribing arrangements and end what it describes as “discrimination against neurodivergent families.”
Tom Abell, chief executive of NHS Mid and South Essex said: “We recognise how important it is for people living with ADHD and their families to have timely and uninterrupted access to their medications, and I’d like to apologise to those families whose care has been disrupted.
“I’d like to reassure residents that our work to reduce waiting times and improve pathways of care for residents continues to be a priority area.”
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