AADD-UK has written to Paul Burstow, Minister of State for Care Services & lead for Equality and Human Rights, asking for a public apology for his contribution to the stigmatisation of adults with ADHD.

AADD-UK petitioned the previous Government for better NHS services for adults with ADHD because not only are services completely absent in some areas of the UK, where they do exist some are oversubscribed, and one even has a waiting list of 18 months. Even worse, in some areas Trusts are refusing to treat adults who were either diagnosed as children, or who were diagnosed for the first time as adults.

Paul Burstow wrote in a letter to an MP and in an email that was sent to more than 1,000 people that the Government recognises concerns that childhood ADHD may continue into adulthood in some cases and that is why the Government is going to consider ADHD issues in the Criminal Justice programme.

As a result, AADD-UK has written to Mr Burstow, with copies to David Cameron, Nick Clegg, and Andrew Lansley, asking that he apologise, in his capacity as lead for Equality and Human Rights, to all the recipients of his letter for his contribution to the negative stereotyping of adults with ADHD, and they have also asked that he publicly support NHS services for adults with ADHD.

Here is a copy of their letter:

Paul Burstow MP
Minister of State for Care Services (Health)
Department of Health
Richmond House
79 Whitehall, London SW1A 2NS

6 October 2010

Dear Mr Burstow,

Response to petition for dedicated NHS funding for services for adults with ADHD

I am writing to you to express our very grave concerns with the discriminatory and stigmatising tone first in your letter to Mr John Penrose, MP (PO00000507382) in response to his query regarding the whereabouts of the above petition, and secondly in the response to the same petition by Her Majesty’s Government which was sent to 1,853 signatories; the latter matches your response to Mr Penrose word-for-word.

Please note that we will not be addressing the many medical inaccuracies contained in these responses, because it is our understanding that this will be addressed in a separate letter by medical professionals.

You say that “we recognise concerns that childhood ADHD may continue into adulthood in some cases. This is why we set up an ADHD research community within the Offender Health Research Network. . .” and so on. Your apparent assumption that all adults with ADHD are offenders has not only increased the considerable distress already being felt by people who are experiencing difficulties accessing NHS services (the reason for the petition), it also increases feelings of exclusion and stigmatisation thus making it less likely that people with ADHD will assert their rights to protection from direct and indirect discrimination.

We, therefore, respectfully suggest that in recompense you offer an apology on behalf of HM Government, as well as in your capacity as lead for Equality & Human Rights, to all signatories for your, hopefully inadvertent, contribution to the negative stereotyping of people with ADHD, and also publicly state that you support the provisions of services for adults with ADHD in accordance with NICE Guidelines CG72.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours sincerely,

Chairwoman AADD-UK

cc: The Rt Hon David Cameron, MP
The Rt Hon Nick Clegg, MP
The Rt Hon Andrew Lansley, CBE MP
Mr John Penrose, MP

More information can be found on AADD-UK's website including a 32 page Summary of Evidence that was sent to the Government supporting AADD-UK's call for better services for adults with ADHD.