Wes Streeting admits NHS ‘falling short’ on autism and ADHD

The Health Secretary has admitted the NHS is “falling short” on meeting demand for adult autism and ADHD diagnosis.

Speaking to BBC Radio Oxford, he was responding to a question about adult referrals having been paused in Oxfordshire since 2024.

But he said it was a national issue that he was “very worried about”.

When asked if it was an epidemic the government was failing to cope with, he responded “in a nutshell, yes”.

Streeting said: “We’re trying to, as a government, understand what’s driving this increase.

“Is it simply awareness and a positive awareness that means that people who would have just gone unsupported and undiagnosed are just now realising that they may well have ADHD?

“And then secondly, meeting the demand because we’re really falling short on this in the NHS, so we are looking at this nationally.”

Streeting launched an independent review last year into rising demand for mental health, ADHD and autism services in England.

It is looking at whether there is evidence of over-diagnosis and what gaps in support exist.

The government said it was already investing in expanding services, but there are long waits for therapy in many areas.

Oxford Health said in February 2024 that due to an “unprecedented number” of adults being referred to its ADHD service, it had paused all new referrals.

It said in a statement: “We paused our service in 2024 in order to properly and safely manage a backlog of referrals.

“Since then, in addition to assessing these referrals, we have been working with [the Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West Integrated Care Board (BOB ICB)] to design a service for the Thames Valley.”

Kingswood, which was commissioned to provide autism assessments and diagnosis in the county, made the same decision in November 2024.

Chief executive Sarah Butcher said: “Closing the waiting list was not something we wanted to do, but we believe we had a moral obligation to do this.

“We will continue to provide a diagnosis for those on our waiting list, and we remain hopeful that BOB ICB will increase their funding to us in the future, so that we can provide increased diagnosis for people in Oxfordshire.”