New Sussex NHS pilot offers ADHD assessment and support closer to home
More than 300 people have had an ADHD assessment through a new Sussex NHS pilot that brings improved access to services closer to home.
Adults with suspected ADHD in parts of Sussex are now able to access assessment and support through a new primary care-led service. ADHD Primary Care Connect is a neighbourhood-based pilot operating across Brighton & Hove, Crawley and Hastings, designed to provide care closer to home through local GP practice teams.
The pilot has been developed through a partnership between Sussex Primary Care Provider Collaborative, Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust and NHS Surrey and Sussex Integrated Care Board (ICB) as part of wider work to respond to increasing demand for neurodevelopmental services locally and nationally.
The work is part of a broader Sussex programme exploring new and innovative ways to improve access to neurodevelopmental care and enhance patient experience and health outcomes for local people, in response to increasing levels of need locally and nationally.
ADHD Primary Care Connect is designed for adults aged 18 and over whose needs can be safely supported in a primary care setting. Patients with more complex mental health or neurodevelopmental needs continue to receive care through specialist services. Patients registered at a practice within the pilot area can be referred by their GP. The service is available alongside all other existing referral routes.
Some people already waiting for assessment with Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (SPFT) may be eligible to transfer into the service. This is being managed through a clinical process, and patients are being contacted directly, so they do not need to take any action themselves.
Brighton GP Rebecca Jarvis said:
This pilot is about bringing ADHD assessment and support closer to people’s homes through local GP teams working together with specialist clinicians and community organisations.
We know people want care that feels joined-up, supportive and easier to access locally. This approach helps patients get assessment, diagnosis, advice and ongoing support from teams within their own communities, while still ensuring specialist support is available where needed.
As well as assessment, patients referred through ADHD Primary Care Connect can receive up to 12 months of holistic support tailored to their individual needs, supported by a dedicated local care coordinator. This important element of the service aims to help people navigate their next steps following a diagnosis, providing signposting to community-based wellbeing services, peer support, practical resources and reasonable adjustment advice where appropriate.
The service has been co-developed with GPs, specialist clinicians and people with lived experience of ADHD, helping to ensure the approach reflects both clinical expertise and real patient experiences.
Within the first two months of the pilot going live, the service has received positive feedback from patients within the pilot, with all saying they would recommend the service and rating their overall experience as good or excellent. Patients have highlighted the speed, communication and supportive approach as key strengths.
One Brighton patient who used the service said:
The speed and efficiency of the service has been such a positive experience for me - I was really apprehensive about going for a diagnosis as I had heard about the usual lengthy and outdated processes, and this new service has been nothing but positive for me. I have felt entirely supported and cared for throughout.
Oliver Dale, Chief Medical Officer at Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, said:
We know that too many people are waiting far too long for ADHD assessments, and that delay can have a significant impact on them and their families.
This pilot represents a new way of working, with an innovative funding model, strong partnerships and a different clinical approach designed to improve access.
I’m really pleased to see that, in just the first two months, we are already supporting significant numbers of people and receiving very positive feedback from patients.
NHS partners across Sussex continue to evaluate the pilot and use learning to inform the future development of neurodevelopmental support and services.
The Sussex pilot runs alongside a similar approach in neighbouring Surrey - offering some adults already on the Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (SABP) waiting list an assessment through Well Life Clinic (WLC), a private clinic led by senior GPs, in partnership with the NHS. GPs there also receive ongoing expertise and oversight to support the delivery of the service.