Streeting orders review into mental health and ADHD diagnoses

A major new independent review launched yesterday to examine how mental health, autism and ADHD services are delivered.

The context:

• Common mental health problems among adults have risen from 15.5%  of 16- to 64-year-olds in 1993 to 22.6% in 2023–24.
• The number of people waiting for autism assessments in September 2025 was 13 times higher than in April 2019.
• Many families report long waits, difficulty getting diagnoses, and barriers to accessing care.

The review, led by clinical psychologist Professor Peter Fonagy, will dig into what’s driving demand such as rising distress, social pressures and inequality, and whether current services meet people’s needs properly. Findings are due in summer 2026.

Alongside the review, the government is backing it with £688 million to hire 8,500 additional mental health workers, expand therapy services, boost emergency mental-health departments, and widen support in schools.

Following this announcement, commentators have questioned the Health Secretary about comments he made in the run up to welfare reforms in March, where he publicly expressed concern about potential “overdiagnosis” of mental health conditions.