UK autism and ADHD service delivery challenges

The UK is facing systemic challenges in providing autism and ADHD services, characterized by rising demand and significant service failures. The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) reported that demand is outstripping capacity, resulting in long waiting times and a “postcode lottery” of access. The watchdog noted that complaints regarding these services rose from 410 in 2021/22 to 1,257 in 2025/26, highlighting issues with the legal ‘Right to Choose’ and inconsistent recognition of diagnoses by the NHS.

Following these findings, NHS leaders warned that the costs of these services are becoming unsustainable, with some areas seeing spending increase tenfold in a single year. While the ‘Right to Choose’ policy allows patients to use non-NHS providers to bypass delays, it has led to a surge in providers and significant price variations, with costs for similar assessments ranging from £300 to £3,000. Concerns have also been raised regarding the quality and regulation of smaller providers. In response, the government has promised an independent review and a “new national approach” to address these mental health services.