So three years and one week ago (I checked), I asked my doctor to refer me for ADHD assessment. He was fine with it, and did so.
About a week later, I got a questionnaire, on paper, through the post. As though I were living in 19ThePast. It had a letter asking me to fill it out and post it back. It took me three weeks to buy an envelope. It took another to actually fill it out. When I did, I inserted the questionnaire, carefully wrote out the address on the envelope, stamped it, sealed it, and looked down to see the questionnaire still on the sofa. I had tried to post them back their own letter requesting I fill out the questionnaire. I, for one, consider this part of the diagnostic criteria.
Anyway, I finally sent it a week later, so it took five weeks in all. That was, as I say, three years ago.
Today, I had to go to the doctor for unrelated reasons, and I was like, "By the way. Do we know what's happening with the ADHD assessment? I know it's a long waiting list, but it's been three years and I literally never heard anything back. Thoughts?"
And today's doctor (a different one) pulled up my history to have a little look, and discovered that a week after I'd initially gone in - during the time I was supposed to fill out the questionnaire but was still vaguely trying to remember to buy an envelope - the referral people had responded to my GP and said "She hasn't done a questionnaire so we can't assess her." At which point, my GP was supposed to call and share this with me so we could discuss
He did not.
And then, of course, they did get my questionnaire, and he should have forwarded THAT to the assessment people at that point to advance the process.
He did not.
Which means I have just wasted three years and a week waiting for an assessment that was never coming. The whole thing came to an end. That was that. At no point did that first doctor ever reconsider any part of my case. He was told they couldn't proceed, and didn't even think to tell me; he just thought "Well, sucks to be her" and then moved the fuck on with his life, I presume.
FORTUNATELY today's doctor was fantastic - she immediately printed out the questionnaire, gave it to me with a pen, and told me to fill it out and immediately give it in to reception before I left. So huzzah for her, and we are back on for ADHDiagnosis, but Jesus Pissing Christ
I just got physical copies of the forms and appointment like a week after turning them in. To be fair this was after 4 years of anxiety meds and asking a doctor if I should get a referral for a psych test to see if I was even taking the right type of medication. That’s rough buddy.
