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BBC News
6 days ago
- Health
- BBC News
Warwickshire pause in ADHD referrals 'putting lives at risk'
A man who was diagnosed with ADHD in his thirties says making it harder for adults to be referred for the condition on the NHS could put lives at May, the Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership NHS Trust temporarily stopped accepting new referrals for adults over 25 for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), in an effort to cut waiting lists for Morrison, from Coventry, said he nearly developed a substance abuse problem before he was diagnosed and feared others could go down a similar route while NHS trust said it was committed to bringing back adult referrals "as soon as possible". Mr Morrison said his diagnosis had been a "game changer" for himADHD is a neurodevelopmental condition characterised by difficulties with concentration, energy levels, impulsiveness, or by a person's ability to manage their published earlier this year by NHS England estimated there were nearly 2.5 million people in England with ADHD, with more than 550,000 currently waiting for an Morrison said he thought being forgetful, impulsive and struggling to concentrate were just some of his personality traits until his partner suggested he might have ADHD.''I used to bury anxiety and to try to fit in," the 35-year old of that, he said he became "pretty close" to developing an abuse problem but his recent diagnosis changed that.''It's the same as someone who's visually impaired putting on glasses. That's the best way to describe it'' Mr Morrison said. While he recognised action needed to be taken to get the waiting list for children's referrals down, he said adults should not feel ignored.''It's a lot more common for ADHD'ers to use substances to counteract burnout and it's a lot less common once they are on medication," he said."So the fact that won't be available now will make them more vulnerable''.ADHD UK, a charity that helps people with the condition, said one in four women with it and one in 10 men with ADHD would at some point try to take their own lives.''We absolutely think this decision [to suspend referrals] represents a risk to life," a spokesperson for the charity Morrison agreed: ''I've had a few friends trying to take their own lives diagnosed or otherwise, so the fact the over-25s are being completely disregarded is just horrible''.He said he felt the decision could put lives at risk claiming ''it's not deliberate, but it is a consequence of the action''. NHS pledge More than 7,500 children and young people were currently waiting for an ADHD assessment in the region, the Coventry and Warwickshire Integrated Care Board, of which the partnership NHS trust is a member, said.A spokesperson added that was ''unacceptable'' and showed the need for a different approach with more than 10-year waiting times for some the temporary policy, only new referrals for assessments for people under 25 would be commissioned but, they added, this would not affect anybody who had already been referred and those on the current waiting list would assessments are also not affected."This policy will remain in place until we have implemented a new, comprehensive and sustainable all-age pathway for ADHD'' chief medical officer Dr Imogen Staveley said.''We are committed to introducing this new pathway as soon as possible."If you are affected by any of the issues raised in this story, support and advice is available via the BBC Action Line.
Epoch Times
25-04-2025
- Business
- Epoch Times
Detroit Metro Airport Rolls out Autonomous Wheelchairs to Transport Passengers
By Myesha Johnson The Detroit News ROMULUS, Mich.—Travelers with mobility issues or who have trouble walking long distances will have another option to get to their gates under a new pilot program unveiled Monday at Detroit Metro Airport's McNamara terminal: autonomous wheelchairs. For 90 days, 10 chairs, called WHILL devices, will be available to travelers as part of a partnership with Unifi. The chairs can drop off passengers at specific gates without an employee navigating them and stop if an obstacle is in the way. The program is intended to improve the customer and employee experience simultaneously, said Guatam Thakkar, Unifi's CEO, at a press conference at the airport's McNamara terminal recently. Sandeep Angra, Unify Chief Technology Officer, speaks about the new autonomous wheelchairs at McNamara Terminal at Detroit Metropolitan Airport on April 14, 2025, in Detroit. Andy Morrison/The Detroit News/TNS 'We all know that technology is fundamentally changing ... not just at the airport or anywhere else, even in our household technology has significantly changed the way we work,' Thakkar said. 'We want to see how this technology can provide, or not provide, passenger greater independence and how it can reduce the wait time for the passenger. 'We want to see how this technology can alleviate some of the strain on which we have on some of our employees, in particular, during the peak times,' he said. Related Stories 4/17/2025 4/18/2025 The chairs are assigned to passengers on-site after employee screening and are currently based in the center of the terminal past the security checkpoint. An employee will take a traveler from security to the autonomous chairs. Once the chair has dropped off the passenger to its gate, it automatically returns to its base to wait for the next passenger. Each chair travels at the same speed as the airport's moving walkway and plays a tune as it carries passengers. It stops when met with an obstacle, or person, in its pathway. According to a release, the WHILL devices can be paused at any time by the passenger and has an emergency stop button. Each chair also is equipped with pre-mapped routes and backup systems. Linda Teets of Cleveland took a chair to her gate Monday morning. She was on her way to Miami and said she hope the autonomous chairs won't negatively impact employees who manually transfer passengers. 'Anything to help progress and make it easier for folks who have to rely on this kind of help,' said Teets, 66. More than 100 WHILL devices are currently deployed at airports across the country and have completed more than 400,000 autonomous rides to date. The program at DTW is supported by a grant from the Office of Future Mobility and Electrification, a division of Michigan Economic Development Corporation and part of the MI Mobility Funding Program. An autonomous wheelchair returns to its starting point at McNamara Terminal at Detroit Metropolitan Airport on April 14, 2025, in Detroit. Andy Morrison/The Detroit News/TNS But not everyone was happy with the speed of the new autonomous chairs at DTW, or not being unable to ask an employee to stop if needed. Valarie Bankston of California took a wheelchair from the center of the terminal to one end, gate A38 to A6. She was going back to her home state when an airport employee escorted her from a manual wheelchair to the autonomous chair. 'This is really slow and it doesn't have any assistant if I have to go to the restroom. It doesn't stop for you to get anything. It just goes,' Bankston said while riding. Bankston, 68, wanted to stop at a store and was concerned for older travelers who'd need more assistance than she does. She thought the manual wheelchair pushed by an employee would be quicker. 'What if somebody was in a rush? This is not accessible to get them there,' she said. 'They say you can see an agent or worker. I don't see nobody. I haven't seen anybody yet to ask anything. 'I have my daughter with me. Some people don't have anybody with them. ... I wouldn't want to do this (again).' Later this year, autonomous wheelchairs also will be introduced at the Warren Cleage Evans Terminal. After the 90-day pilot program ends, Tim Fisher, director of Unifi's aviation services, said the company will utilize feedback from passengers and employees in hopes of making the chairs a permanent fixture at the mile-long airport. During holidays, customers experience longer wait times and may even miss flights. Fisher said the company hopes customers will wait less and employees can be freed up to work with travelers who need more attention. 'It's not just about faster service but it's about better service, so that's going to be a part of the evaluation,' Fisher said. He also said worker assistance and employee stations throughout the terminal may occur. The company may also adjust the number of chairs depending on demand during the pilot program. Fisher said the autonomous service may not be suitable for travelers in a hurry, accompanied by a pet, or who need to carry things such as an oxygen canister. An autonomous wheelchair returns to its starting point at McNamara Terminal at Detroit Metropolitan Airport on April 14, 2025, in Detroit. Andy Morrison/The Detroit News/TNS Copyright 2025 The Detroit News. Visit Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Dear Readers: We would love to hear from you. What topics would you like to read about? Please send your feedback and tips to
