The below is from an article in The Guardian, 12th January, 2026
The NHS is overspending by £164 million a year on attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) services, driven largely by payments to unregulated private providers, a Guardian investigation has found.
Analysis shows that spending on ADHD services is set to reach £314 million by April 2026, more than double the current annual budget of £150 million. Over the past three years, spending on private ADHD assessments has more than tripled, rising from £16.3 million in 2022–23 to £58 million last year.
Experts have raised concerns about the quality and safety of private assessments. Cases have emerged where patients suffered harm due to poor continuity of care following private diagnoses.
The surge in private assessments reflects record demand for ADHD services, as awareness grows and NHS waiting lists stretch over half a million people. Many adult ADHD services have temporarily stopped taking new patients, prompting some to use the NHS “right-to-choose” pathway to bypass local waitlists. However, critics warn that this system is easily exploited by private companies, which can earn unlimited revenue without local NHS oversight.
The investigation by the Centre for Health and the Public Interest (CHPI) found companies delivering NHS-funded ADHD services with profit margins as high as 33%, and at least 14 companies operating without Care Quality Commission registration. Another 19 companies providing nearly £2 million in neurodiversity services had no NHS contracts at all.
Jo Platt, chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on ADHD, described the findings as evidence that services are “at breaking point”, with NHS costs soaring while private providers profit from an under-regulated market, leaving patients in limbo.
The Department of Health and Social Care has launched an independent review into ADHD, autism, and mental health services, stating that all providers must meet NHS standards for patient safety and quality. NHS England is also consulting on mechanisms to ensure local systems can reimburse services appropriately.
As ADHD diagnoses continue to rise, the investigation highlights a growing tension between demand, NHS capacity, and the role of the private sector with urgent questions about quality, oversight, and patient safety.