JOE ROBERTSON: As a Tory MP, I was told I had ADHD at 42, but I don't need benefits… and nor do most like me

Résumé détaillé

After a two-hour Zoom call with a nurse and a brief questionnaire, I received an email confirming my ADHD diagnosis in just 72 hours.

Published: 23:01 GMT, 11 November 2026 | Updated: 23:01 GMT, 11 November 2026

For all my life, I’ve been forgetful and found it hard to concentrate on one thing at a time. I thought it was a flaw in my personality.

But watching my two children grow up, I have become increasingly interested in the way people learn and get on.

So, aged 42, I recently decided to be assessed for ADHD. For an NHS test the waiting list in my area was over a year. So I paid £900 for a private appointment.

After a two-hour Zoom call with a nurse and a brief questionnaire, I received an email confirming my ADHD diagnosis in just 72 hours.

Accompanying it was a nice template letter evidencing my diagnosis to show to anyone who needed to see it. That was it.

The diagnosis explained why at school, I was always in trouble for being easily distracted, focusing on the ‘wrong thing’ and ‘not sitting still’. I can rarely watch TV for that reason and misplace stuff.

Shadow disabilities minister Joe Robertson was recently diagnosed with ADHD and knows that he doesn't need disability benefits

But I’ve never seen these traits as negative. If anything, they help me with my job as an MP, where I often need to respond at short notice, juggling demands from all angles. I find switching between tasks remarkably easy.

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