Hey there, guys - we hope you're all doing well.

We've noticed (and it has been brought to our attention) that quite a few of you in recent days have been having some pretty bad problems with some of your ADHD diagnostic/medication providers. There could be a lot of reasons as to why - everywhere seems overwhelmed, but it's really not OK if providers are doing things that are impacting your care or putting you at risk.

Edit: The CQC is for England, the HIS (Health Improvement Scotland) is for Scotland, and the CIW (Care Inspectorate Wales) is for Wales. This guide is written as if complaining to the CQC, as it is what a user kindly coached me on when I wrote this.

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Complaining to providers directly:

Your first step should be to complain to your service provider directly; without doing this, any further steps tend to be limited as the service provider hasn't had a chance to rectify the issue.

The current guidance from the CQC states that a complaint can be raised verbally or in writing, and the complaint should be acknowledged unless anonymous. The investigation and response to a complaint should be handled appropriately and without delay. All services should (ideally) have a process by which they recognise your complaint and give you some form of indicator as to when you will receive feedback. It is worthwhile letting any direct complaints resolve before providing feedback to the CQC, as you will then also have a full timeline of events to draw upon.

The CQC will not have the ability to resolve the issue or force compliance from the service provider. However, they are able to issue penalties on a service level, and your feedback has a legitimate impact (also note: both good and bad feedback). Because of this feedback, the service you use may improve or undergo changes.

A small note: I (speaking as u/LabyrinthMind in a personal capacity) want to gently warn you that sometimes, complaining to a provider directly can be an unpleasant process. People are not always understanding, and while I don't think that this should stop anyone from complaining, I wanted to let you know that if you did end up having to complain due to unfortunate circumstances, you should be mentally prepared for the possibility that they won't be kind in how they respond to you.

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An example complaints process:

You've not had a medication review appointment, and/or your specialist hasn't raised a new prescription. As a result, you're running low on medication. You've reached out to your service provider but heard nothing.

1. Raise a complaint with the service provider; the more time you give them, the better. As mentioned above, they must handle these without delay.
2. If they fail to resolve your issue, submit feedback to the CQC. Be sure to clearly document the timeline and provide a summary of the issue and how it's impacted you. They don't need a wall of text. Be clear and concise.
3. Chase your service provider! Stay calm and make sure you're respectful. You don't want your care withdrawn because you got frustrated.
4. Investigate raising a formal complaint; the CQC details this here.
   1. These processes typically require minimum time frames; CQC feedback does not.
5. Contact your MP! They should know about the terrible state of ADHD care in this country and make it clear this is a big issue for you. Crisis has guidance on this

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So, what next?

If you have complained to your provider already and tried to sort things "in-house", so to speak, and they didn't or were unable to help you solve your problem, the next step is to report it to the CQC.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is the independent regulator of health and social care services. They oversee the quality and safety of care in services such as hospitals, GP surgeries, care homes, and things like our ADHD healthcare providers.

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Steps to Report a Private Service to the CQC:

There are multiple ways to contact the CQC, including by phone, email, or online forms. Their website generally has the most up-to-date information on how to get in touch.

• Phone: 03000 616161
• Online: Visit the CQC's website and fill out a 'Tell Us About Your Care' form.
• Email: You can email enquiries to [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected]).
• Mail: CQC National Customer Service Centre, Citygate, Gallowgate, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 4PA

When contacting them:

1. Explain Your Concerns: Clearly outline what the issues are, providing as much clear and concise detail as you can. If you have evidence, remember to include it!
2. Consider your Anonymity: The CQC allows you to report a service anonymously. However, providing your contact details could potentially be helpful if they needed to follow up for additional information.
3. Response and Follow-up: Once the CQC receives your information, they will review it to determine what actions are necessary. You may be contacted for further information or clarification.
4. Investigation: Depending on the severity and nature of the issue, the CQC may conduct an inspection or investigation. The extent and type of action can vary greatly, from discussions with the service provider to issuing a warning, to suspending or closing down the service.
5. Feedback: The CQC usually provides feedback to the complainant regarding the steps taken to investigate and address the issue, although they might not be able to disclose all the details due to confidentiality reasons.

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We want you guys to be taken care of out there, and while a post like this is quite sad to have to make, it's more important that you don't come to harm or fall foul of our pretty broken ADHD healthcare system.

We would ask that you think carefully before contacting the CQC, purely because there can be some quite severe ramifications. However, it is more important that standards of care are kept at good and safe levels.

-- Created, edited, and amended after a request and feedback from a user (thank you!) --