Dan Neville
Question:9 Mr. Neville asked the Minister for Health and Children the proposals, if any, he has to develop adequate services for children suffering from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. [14112/98]
Priority Questions. - Psychiatric Services.
The diagnosis, assessment and treatment of attention deficit disorder normally falls within the area of responsibility of the child and adolescent psychiatric services in each health board. The development of a comprehensive child and adolescent psychiatric service in each health board area has been identified as a priority in my Department's health strategy, Shaping a Healthier Future, and a consultant-led service is now available in each health board.
My Department is currently in the process of formulating a policy document for the further development of child and adolescent psychiatric services which will include consideration of the specific needs of children with attention deficit disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. I understand that the policy document will be completed and available for consideration by me at an early date. In the meantime, I have provided additional revenue resources in the current year to enable some further improvements to be undertaken in the child and adolescent services in a number of health boards.
Will the Minister agree that there is a failure to diagnose the condition of attention deficit disorder early in a child's life? Will he also agree that there is confusion about the nature and treatment of attention deficit disorder among the relevant clinical staff in the health boards?
That point has been made by the group of parents who have children with this disorder. I have heard also from other parents of autistic children that the failure to clinically assess the nature of the child's requirements at an earlier date has determined the extent to which the matter can be resolved and people can get on with their lives in an appropriate way. Deputy Neville is probably correct when he says that, similar to other child disorders, this disorder is not being identified early enough. I have asked for a review of child and adolescent psychiatric services which will include consideration of this issue, which was brought to my attention by the Deputy and others. As soon as I get the report we will be in a better position to know the extent of the problem and what we can do about it.
Will the Minister further accept that paediatricians do not have sufficient training and background experience to identify the subtleties of the disorder and other emotional stresses it causes for the child and the family? Left untreated, the consequences of the disorder for the sufferer, the family and the community are extreme.
I have already conceded that I am aware of anecdotal evidence in relation to the perception of parents in that they felt the disorder was not clinically assessed in sufficient time. The Deputy is now asking me to confirm that our paediatric profession can identify this disorder. I have no evidence that that is the case. It may well be that the way we deliver the service has been such that people do not get access to specialist expertise in time. I do not want to say that our paediatricians are incapable of identifying the syndrome when they examine these patients. It is the view of parents whom I have met that this is the case. I have asked that this particular disorder, which to my knowledge is of relatively recent vintage, be included in the review currently taking place in relation to child and adolescent psychiatric services. We should await the findings of that review and then see what we can do about it.