Prescribing of medication for ADHD in adults

​​​​Request 837527783

1. Any current written policies, guidance, or protocols (from January 2023 to present) relating to the prescribing of medication for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) for children. 

2. Any documents or recorded information (including reports, meeting minutes, or internal communications) from January 2023 to present that record or discuss decisions to reduce, restrict, pause, or stop ADHD prescribing, and the reasons for those decisions. 

3. Any risk assessments, clinical safety considerations, or impact assessments relating to changes in ADHD prescribing practice for children during this period.

Response

1. CAMHS complies with NICE guidance NG87 “Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: diagnosis and management” which can be found at this link: https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng87​.

CAMHS also operate within the Government formulary and medicines policy. This can be accessed on the Government of Jersey website through this link: https://www.gov.je/health/doctordentist/pharmacistschemists/pages/hospitalpharmacy.aspx​

As these documents are publicly accessibly, Article 23 of the Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011 is applied.

2. In 2024 and 2025 there were global supply issues which impacted ADHD medication. The Hospital Pharmacy provided regular updates to prescribers of medications with supply issues. There are ongoing supply issues at times, but no ADHD medications are currently impacted. The hospital pharmacy remains focused on monitoring any supply issues and communicating with prescribers.

On March 18th, 2026, a small number of families (open to CAMHS) were written to explaining there would be delays to initiate ADHD medication, for children and young people newly diagnosed with ADHD. This was a temporary pause whilst additional clinical resources were identified and has now been resolved. The Scheduled Public Authority (SPA) are not able to provide the minutes of these meetings as they involved individual case discussion. Providing this information could lead to the identification of individuals and as such Article 25 of the Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011 has been applied.

3. All children and young people open to CAMHS have Care Plans and Risk Assessments completed and in place. Decisions taken on prescribing are made with the child / young person and their family, in assessment with a CAMHS Clinician, subject to physical health assessment and ongoing monitoring of side effects and impact. During the period of shortage in supply, some children and young people were prescribed alternative ADHD medications.

Article Applied

Article 23 - Information accessible to applicant by other means

(1) Information is absolutely exempt information if it is reasonably available to the applicant, otherwise than under this Law, whether or not free of charge.

(2) A scheduled public authority that refuses an application for information on this ground must make reasonable efforts to inform the applicant where the applicant may obtain the information.

Article 25 - Personal information

(1) Information is absolutely exempt information if it constitutes personal data of which the applicant is the data subject as defined in the Data Protection (Jersey) Law 2018.

(2) Information is absolutely exempt information if –

(a) it constitutes personal data of which the applicant is not the data subject as defined in the Data Protection (Jersey) Law 2018;; and

(b) its supply to a member of the public would contravene any of the data protection principles, as defined in that Law.

(3) In determining for the purposes of this Article whether the lawfulness principle in Article 8(1)(a) of the Data Protection (Jersey) Law 2018​ would be contravened by the disclosure of information, paragraph 5(1) of Schedule 2 to that Law (legitimate interests) is to be read as if sub-paragraph (b) (which disapplies the provision where the controller is a public authority) were omitted.​