Letter: ADHD pledges

IT IS good to see that public health minister Shona Robison is aware of the importance of medication as a treatment for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder ("75,000 Scots children on hyperactivity drugs", 22 December).

Sue Palmer is also right to say that establishing routines and encouraging lifestyle changes which are conducive to good behaviour are important, but while teachers can be helpful in achieving this, it should not be left to teachers alone.

It is heartening to see that the Scottish Liberal Democrats and Tories are aware of the need for psychological therapies and I look forward to them making it their New Year resolution to ensure that this becomes a reality sooner rather than later.

However, their motivation should not be to reduce reliance on drugs, but to complement the use of drugs.

Some joined-up thinking is badly needed on ADHD and some realistic funding for the NHS ADHD clinics, both child and adult, so that they can add psychological therapies to their clinical repertoire.

ELSPETH PORTER

Henderson Row

Edinburgh