Latest news with #taskforce
Times
14 hours ago
- Health
- Times
Offer ADHD help before diagnosis, NHS task force says
Everyone who thinks they might have ADHD should be offered special adjustments such as flexible working or extra time at school, an official NHS task force has concluded. A report said that support should be provided for people with 'possible' symptoms before they have a formal diagnosis, amid 'unacceptably long' waiting times of several years for diagnostic assessments. It said that, without the right support, ADHD was 'a potent route into educational failure, long-term unemployment, crime, substance misuse, suicide, mental and physical illness'. • Britain's dyslexia crisis: schools are failing children like mine The NHS believes attention deficit hyperactivity disorder affects about 2.5 million children and adults in England, but only 800,000 have a formal diagnosis. Experts have called for sweeping reforms across all public services, particularly the education sector, to meet the needs of people with ADHD. The report said that early support should be 'needs-based' and 'uncoupled from diagnosis' and offered to all those with suspected ADHD or on waiting lists for services. This support could include 'quiet rooms' in classrooms, parenting lessons and flexible working hours. The national ADHD task force was set up last year by the NHS, in response to a surge in demand for services, with researchers working with government departments. The panel's interim report, published on Friday, said that ADHD can be viewed as 'lying along a spectrum' and that support may be needed to those who 'fall just below or near the diagnostic threshold'. Professor Anita Thapar, who chairs the NHS ADHD task force, said: 'Needs in school won't be the same as needs at home or needs in the workplace. You look at people's strengths and challenges and work out the best way to enable them to be the best version of themselves. 'For example, say if a child is finding it really hard in a class, they might need a quiet room to have a five minute break. In the workplace, someone with ADHD might find it challenging sitting in the same spot for hours looking at a screen. So they might need more frequent breaks. They might need somewhere quiet where it's not so noisy.' • Years of being misdiagnosed have affected my mental health Thapar, a professor in child and adolescent psychiatry at Cardiff University, said that intervening early when children are in school is a cost-effective way to prevent complications further down the line, such as unemployment or A&E trips, and prevent 'wasted human cost and wasted economic cost'.It said it was 'especially important' that schools and nurseries intervene early to help children showing signs of ADHD, and that this 'should be needs-led and not require a clinical diagnosis'. Thapar said investment was needed to train teachers and business leaders about how to recognise ADHD and what help to provide. In the coming months, more specific recommendations about what adjustments schools and workplaces should make for ADHD will be issued by the Department for Education and the Department for Work and Pensions. • Everything you think you know about ADHD is probably wrong The report said that many with ADHD do not need medication, but that those with severe symptoms could be 'fast-tracked' to specialist clinics to get medication. ADHD is a neuro-developmental disorder and people with the condition may have trouble concentrating or struggle to sit still and organise their time. More than half a million people are on waiting lists for an ADHD assessment, two thirds of whom are aged between five and 24. Waiting times for NHS services are up to four years for children and eight years for adults, the report said. Ministers are alarmed about how a rise in ADHD is fuelling soaring disability claims, and Wes Streeting, the health secretary has argued there is an 'over-diagnosis' of mental health conditions with 'too many people being written off'. The report said tighter regulation and monitoring is needed of private clinics, which have been accused of overdiagnosing patients. It said: 'Inability to access NHS services has led to a significant growth in the use of private providers that are not regulated, resulting in two-tier access to services, diagnosis and treatment; one for those who can pay and another for those who cannot.' Dr Adrian James, NHS England's medical director for mental health and neurodiversity, said: 'We know that too many people with ADHD have been waiting for too long for support, which is why we launched the task force last year to help respond to the significant growth in the need for care. It is clear that much more needs to be done to improve ADHD assessment and care in England and ensure people can get a timely diagnosis, and we welcome the findings from the interim report, and look forward to its final conclusions later this year.' Parul Singh, 29, was diagnosed with ADHD in 2021 after struggling with sleep and anxiety. She believes that workplace adjustments can be hugely helpful in managing symptoms. 'Care for ADHD is about more than just medication. People on waiting lists should be given educational tools and information on reasonable adjustments at work and their rights under the equality act,' she said. 'Reasonable adjustments might include flexible working because sometimes you can hyperfocus and work long hours, or transcription tools if you do a lot of meetings, as my attention wavers so it's hard to take notes.'While her diagnosis was relatively quick, Singh has struggled to access treatment. She been 'passed around' a series of private clinics providing services for the NHS, which subsequently lost their NHS contracts. This means she keeps having to get re-diagnosed in order to access her medication on the NHS. 'I've had to have three ADHD assessments in four years. It doesn't make any logical sense.' Charlotte Atkins, 28, was told she would have to wait 'ten to twelve years' to get an ADHD assessment on the NHS when she first sought help from her GP in 2023. She had no choice but to go to a private clinic — paid for by her work health insurance — and was diagnosed with ADHD, starting on medication which was 'life-changing'. But when she tried to transfer her care and prescriptions to her NHS GP, she was met with a system of 'bureaucracy and gatekeeping' and told she would have to get re-diagnosed at an NHS clinic — meaning several more years on a waiting list. Atkins, who works as a consultant in London, eventually managed to get prescriptions via an online service. However, she then had to go cold turkey for four months because of a national shortage, which meant her 'health suffered significantly'. Atkins said that 'waiting for a diagnosis and waiting for a medication is absolutely horrendous' for people with ADHD and it is vital the NHS gets a grip on waiting times, adding: 'ADHD is hard enough to live with. Getting treatment for it shouldn't be harder.'
Khaleej Times
21 hours ago
- Khaleej Times
UAE foils drug smuggling attempt by 2 suspects linked to international network
UAE thwarted an attempt to distribute narcotic pills within the country, after monitoring the suspicious activity of two individuals of Arab nationality. Investigations confirmed their links to an international network for drug smuggling and trafficking. The two accused admitted that they had partners who prepared the shipment and smuggled it from Hamburg to one of the country's ports. One of them came to the country on a visit visa specifically to complete this mission. He added that the mastermind of the network resides outside the country and is the one who finances and manages the entire operation. The competent security services were able to raid two sites, one of which was used to store narcotic pills while the accused were unloading and preparing them for distribution within the country. The other site was where a mechanical construction equipment (excavator) was seized, in which another quantity was hidden, based on confidential information obtained by the task force.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Eric Dane: My Countdown Task Force Leader Is ‘Unapologetic, Determined' — and Wears the Hell Out of a Suit
In Prime Video's upcoming Countdown thriller, Special Agent in Charge Nathan Blythe proves to be a 'formidable foe' for any ne'er-do-wells — and he looks damn good while doing it! Created by Derek Haas (EP of the #OneChicago franchise and co-creator of FBI: International), Countdown is set in motion when an officer with the Department of Homeland Security is murdered in broad daylight. SAC Blythe (played by Euphoria's Eric Dane) is tapped to head up task force 'Hurricane,' comprised of LAPD detective Mark Meachum (Supernatural's Jensen Ackles), DEA badass Amber Oliveras (All Rise's Jessica Camacho), LAPD gangs unit officer Lucas Finau (Young Rock's Uli Latukefu), and FBI agents Keyonte Bell (The Boys' Elliot Knight) and Evan Shepherd (The Flash's Violett Beane). More from TVLine We Were Liars EPs Talk Book-to-Show Changes, Including Which Sinclair Family Member Didn't Make the Cut Does Jensen Ackles' Countdown Hero Have BDE - Big Dean (Winchester) Energy? 'There Are Familiar Aspects,' Says Supernatural Vet The Sandman's Final Season Trailer Features Dream's Return to Hell, Warns 'All Good Stories Come to an End' Though positioned as an 'all-star' team of LEOs, it soon becomes evident that the task force Blythe hand-picked is more a collection of broken toys. 'They don't understand why they work well together…,' Dane told TVLine on Tuesday afternoon, 'but I do.' Blythe himself isn't one to sit behind the desk in his makeshift task force office and simply receive updates. Rather, he involves himself in field work while also doing his damndest to keep District Attorney Grayson Valwell (Merrick McCartha) — an ambitious politico and would-be valor thief — from getting in the team's way. 'I like playing characters that are unapologetic, and determined, and won't back down. And there's a lot of that in Nathan Blythe,' Dane said. 'He's also a very earnest and focused character — I like that about him — but what I really dig about him is the 'stillness' which he sets an example' for the task force's more impulsive members. Ackles, who plays Team Hurricane's most reckless member, described Dane's character as 'a formidable foe for anybody out there trying to make a move,' and a boss who doesn't so much lead by example but 'lead by strength. 'And I love how much he believes in his team,' Ackles added. 'I love that he believes in these people even though they are not the obvious choice.' Describing Meachum et al as 'a ragtag group,' Ackles likened SAC Blythe to 'the coach of the Bad News Bears.' This coach, though, dresses a helluva lot better than Walter Matthau's Morris Buttermaker. When he strides across a tarmac or office plaza, damn, it's like an Armani ad come to life. '[Eric] wears the hell out of a suit!' Ackles declared of his co-star. 'Every time he showed up on the set, I'm like, 'Who makes this? What are you working with here?'' Accepting the compliments from both Ackles and myself, Dane simply said with a smile, 'We have a great wardrobe department.' Prime Video's Countdown premieres Wednesday, June 25, with its first three episodes, followed by weekly drops through Sept. 3. Want scoop on , or for any other TV show? Shoot an email to InsideLine@ and your question may be answered via Matt's Inside Line! Best of TVLine Yellowjackets' Tawny Cypress Talks Episode 4's Tai/Van Reunion: 'We're All Worried About Taissa' Vampire Diaries Turns 10: How Real-Life Plot Twists Shaped Everything From the Love Triangle to the Final Death Vampire Diaries' Biggest Twists Revisited (and Explained)
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Eric Dane: My Countdown Task Force Leader Is ‘Unapologetic, Determined' — and Wears the Hell Out of a Suit
In Prime Video's upcoming Countdown thriller, Special Agent in Charge Nathan Blythe proves to be a 'formidable foe' for any ne'er-do-wells — and he looks damn good while doing it! Created by Derek Haas (EP of the #OneChicago franchise and co-creator of FBI: International), Countdown is set in motion when an officer with the Department of Homeland Security is murdered in broad daylight. SAC Blythe (played by Euphoria's Eric Dane) is tapped to head up task force 'Hurricane,' comprised of LAPD detective Mark Meachum (Supernatural's Jensen Ackles), DEA badass Amber Oliveras (All Rise's Jessica Camacho), LAPD gangs unit officer Lucas Finau (Young Rock's Uli Latukefu), and FBI agents Keyonte Bell (The Boys' Elliot Knight) and Evan Shepherd (The Flash's Violett Beane). More from TVLine We Were Liars EPs Talk Book-to-Show Changes, Including Which Sinclair Family Member Didn't Make the Cut Does Jensen Ackles' Countdown Hero Have BDE - Big Dean (Winchester) Energy? 'There Are Familiar Aspects,' Says Supernatural Vet The Sandman's Final Season Trailer Features Dream's Return to Hell, Warns 'All Good Stories Come to an End' Though positioned as an 'all-star' team of LEOs, it soon becomes evident that the task force Blythe hand-picked is more a collection of broken toys. 'They don't understand why they work well together…,' Dane told TVLine on Tuesday afternoon, 'but I do.' Blythe himself isn't one to sit behind the desk in his makeshift task force office and simply receive updates. Rather, he involves himself in field work while also doing his damndest to keep District Attorney Grayson Valwell (Merrick McCartha) — an ambitious politico and would-be valor thief — from getting in the team's way. 'I like playing characters that are unapologetic, and determined, and won't back down. And there's a lot of that in Nathan Blythe,' Dane said. 'He's also a very earnest and focused character — I like that about him — but what I really dig about him is the 'stillness' which he sets an example' for the task force's more impulsive members. Ackles, who plays Team Hurricane's most reckless member, described Dane's character as 'a formidable foe for anybody out there trying to make a move,' and a boss who doesn't so much lead by example but 'lead by strength. 'And I love how much he believes in his team,' Ackles added. 'I love that he believes in these people even though they are not the obvious choice.' Describing Meachum et al as 'a ragtag group,' Ackles likened SAC Blythe to 'the coach of the Bad News Bears.' This coach, though, dresses a helluva lot better than Walter Matthau's Morris Buttermaker. When he strides across a tarmac or office plaza, damn, it's like an Armani ad come to life. '[Eric] wears the hell out of a suit!' Ackles declared of his co-star. 'Every time he showed up on the set, I'm like, 'Who makes this? What are you working with here?'' Accepting the compliments from both Ackles and myself, Dane simply said with a smile, 'We have a great wardrobe department.' Prime Video's Countdown premieres Wednesday, June 25, with its first three episodes, followed by weekly drops through Sept. 3. Want scoop on , or for any other TV show? Shoot an email to InsideLine@ and your question may be answered via Matt's Inside Line! Best of TVLine Yellowjackets' Tawny Cypress Talks Episode 4's Tai/Van Reunion: 'We're All Worried About Taissa' Vampire Diaries Turns 10: How Real-Life Plot Twists Shaped Everything From the Love Triangle to the Final Death Vampire Diaries' Biggest Twists Revisited (and Explained)
The Review Geek
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Review Geek
Good Boy Episode 7 Preview: Release Date, Time & Where To Watch
Good Boy After 11 years, the police revive their special recruitment for former national athletes. Once hailed as heroes, these world-class medallists now face harsh realities. Despite financial struggles, unexpected tragedies, and discrimination within the force, the athletes, each with their own story, reunite as a special task force to take on major crimes with the grit and skills they've honed as athletes. If you've been interested in this K-drama, you may be curious to find out when the episodes are releasing. Well, wonder no more! Here is everything you need to know about Good Boy episode 7, including its release date, time and where you can watch it. Where Can I Watch Good Boy Season 1? Good Boy will be available on South Korean network JTBC at 10.40pm for Koreans, as well as streaming on Prime Video in select regions. Subtitles should ideally be dropping soon after release. Good Boy Episode 7 Release Date Good Boy Episode 7 will release on Saturday 21st June at approximately 4pm (GMT) / 12am (ET). English subtitles will likely take around 24 hours before showing up on Viki, but they do tend to be much more accurate than some of the other streamers. Expect each episode to be roughly 1 hour 10 minutes long, which is consistent with the time frame for the rest of tvN dramas. How Many Episodes Will Good Boy Have? Good Boy Season 1 will feature 16 episodes. They will be released every Saturday and Sunday, so you can look forward to bi-weekly releases. So with that in mind, we'll have 9 episodes left after this one. Is There A Trailer For Good Boy Season 1? Yes, there is and you can find it right here: What do you hope to see as the series progresses? What's been your favorite moment of Good Boy so far? Let us know in the comments below!
