England plans CQC regulation of ADHD and autism assessments
The response to the Fonagy review also promises help before a clinical diagnosis, but gives no date for regulation.
The government is working towards making every ADHD and autism diagnostic assessment in England a Care Quality Commission (CQC) regulated activity, the Department of Health and Social Care said on 9 October.
Secretary of State for Health and Social Care Yvette Cooper said the aim was for people to be confident that assessments are high quality and that “the NHS is not being overcharged by independent or private providers”. The oversight would cover NHS-funded, non-NHS-funded and self-funding patients.
The plan responds to an independent review chaired by clinical psychologist Professor Peter Fonagy. Its executive summary says open ADHD referrals exceeded 560,000 by the end of 2025, more than 17 times the number recorded in 2019.
For autism, more than 254,000 people had an open referral by December 2025. Over 90% of those referrals were waiting longer than 13 weeks. In a survey of clinicians, 40% reported no ongoing post-diagnostic support.
Rising diagnoses, stable estimates
Recorded diagnoses and demand for assessment keep rising, the review says, while it found little evidence of a substantial change in underlying population prevalence. That “does not, by itself, establish that overdiagnosis is currently occurring at scale”. But the evidence suggests the balance of risks “may be changing”, the review says, with the risks of misdiagnosis and overdiagnosis “becoming increasingly important considerations for policy and service delivery”.
Professor Fonagy said diagnosis “remains essential and must be protected”, but should no longer be “the only door through which help can be reached”.
Dr Sarah Hughes, CEO of Mind, said: “Increased need for support is not due to a ‘snowflake generation’ or a case of overdiagnosis.”
The government said children, young people and adults experiencing mental distress would be offered broader support and advice at the earliest opportunity, without having to wait for a clinical diagnosis. Timely diagnosis and treatment will still be offered where clinically appropriate, it said.
The review recommended banning direct-to-public advertising of NHS-funded ADHD and autism assessments. The statement did not say whether a ban would follow; it said the Secretary of State will write to the Advertising Standards Authority about adverts for autism and ADHD services.
It gave no date for CQC regulation. NHS England will consult on a national set of prices for NHS-funded autism and ADHD services and intends to introduce finalised payment arrangements from April 2027. The government will set out further action in its mental health strategy later this year.
