What you need to know
- •The UK government commissioned an independent review of ADHD, autism and mental health services, chaired by Professor Peter Fonagy.
- •The interim report was published on 10 June 2026 by the Department of Health and Social Care.
- •It does not yet make recommendations. Those come in the final report, with no confirmed publication date.
- •It confirms 270,000 children are currently waiting for an ADHD assessment, up from 21,000 in 2019.
- •It acknowledges the system is not working well and commits to recommending real change.
- •Until the final report, nothing has changed yet for people currently waiting.
What is this review and why does it matter?
In June 2026, the UK government published the interim report of the Independent Review into Mental Health Conditions, ADHD and Autism, led by Professor Peter Fonagy, a leading clinical psychologist.
This is one of the most significant examinations of ADHD services, diagnosis and support the UK government has ever commissioned. If its final recommendations are implemented, it could reshape the way ADHD is assessed, treated and supported in England.
But here is the honest version of what it means right now, for you, sitting on a waiting list or navigating your post-diagnosis life: it is an interim report. It sets out findings. It does not yet offer recommendations. Nothing has changed today because of it.
What it does do is confirm, at the highest possible level of official authority, what most people in the ADHD community already know. The system is under extraordinary pressure. People are not getting the support they need quickly enough. And that needs to change.
What the review actually found
The waiting list figures are as bad as you thought
The review uses NHS England monitoring data to confirm that the number of children and young people waiting for an ADHD assessment rose from around 21,000 in April 2019 to around 270,000 in December 2025.
That is more than twelve times as many children waiting in six years.
Women and girls are finally being recognised
The review highlights that diagnoses among women aged 20 to 24 more than doubled compared with pre-pandemic trends, while increases among males have been smaller.
This is not evidence that more women suddenly developed ADHD. Underlying prevalence appears to have remained broadly stable. What changed is recognition. A generation of women and girls who had ADHD all along finally started being identified.
The review acknowledges this directly and frames it as a positive development, not a cause for concern.
Some people are still being missed
Despite the sharp rise in diagnoses, the review notes there may still be a gap between recorded and expected prevalence in some groups, particularly adults and people in the criminal justice system. It commits to exploring this further in the next phase.
Assessment quality will come under scrutiny
The next phase of the review will examine more closely the quality and consistency of assessments and variation in diagnostic practice. This means private providers, Right to Choose providers and NHS services will all face increased scrutiny. This is broadly good news for patients.
Employment and education are on the agenda
The review explicitly notes the strong association between ADHD and not being in education, employment or training, particularly for young people. It intends to connect its recommendations to wider government work on young people and work, and on the SEND system.
This means Access to Work, workplace adjustments and support for students are likely to feature in the final recommendations as a central priority, not an afterthought.
What the review does NOT say
The review is explicitly clear that it does not want to minimise the challenges people are facing, question the legitimacy of lived experience, or contribute to any stigmatisation of neurodevelopmental conditions.
There is no recommendation in this report about Right to Choose in either direction. The next phase will examine assessment quality, but no restriction has been proposed or signalled.
The final report has no confirmed publication date. Government reviews of this scale typically take 12 to 24 months from commission to final report to policy change. Nothing is imminent.
This review applies to England only. If you live in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland, different pathways apply to you.
What this means for your journey right now
If you are waiting for an NHS assessment
Nothing has changed today. The waiting list is as long as it was before this report. The review confirms this is unacceptable and commits to recommending change, but those changes are not here yet. Your options in the meantime are the same as they were. NHS Right to Choose lets you ask your GP to refer you to an approved private provider, funded by the NHS. Private assessment is the fastest route for most people.
Check if Right to Choose applies to youIf you are already diagnosed and navigating what comes next
The review's focus on what happens after diagnosis, including treatment quality, employment support and joined-up care, is directly relevant to you. The government is being asked to pay attention to this part of the journey for the first time at a serious policy level. In the meantime, our free tools cover the practical steps nobody else explains clearly.
Explore post-diagnosis toolsIf you are a parent trying to get your child assessed
The review's focus on inequalities and who is still being missed includes children and young people. Right to Choose applies to children in England, though not all providers assess children and the pathway is more complex than for adults.
Start triage for your childWhat could change if the review's recommendations are implemented?
Based on what the interim report has examined, the most likely areas of focus are:
Covering both NHS and private providers. This would be good for patients and long overdue.
The review mentions the possibility of support being available earlier without unnecessary delay or dependence on diagnosis alone. This could mean workplace and educational adjustments before a formal diagnosis exists.
The review is connecting its work to wider government work on young people and work, and on the SEND system.
The review's emphasis on inequalities across age, ethnicity and deprivation suggests recommendations will address who is currently being missed, not just how to serve people already in the system.
What you can do today
The review is important. But it will take time. Here is what you can do right now while you wait for the final report.
Right to Choose calculator
Find out whether NHS Right to Choose applies to your situation right now.
Check my optionsGP shared care checker
See whether your GP surgery is known to accept shared care for ADHD medication, before you commit to a private assessment.
Check my GPGP refusal letter
If your GP has refused shared care, get a free personalised letter citing NHS England guidance directly.
Get my letterAccess to Work guide
If ADHD is affecting your work, you may be entitled to up to £69,260 a year in government-funded support.
See what I can claimFree 3-minute triage
Not sure where to start? Answer a few questions and we will match you to the right next step for your situation.
Start triageHelp us build the evidence
The Fonagy Review says it needs better real-world data on what happens after diagnosis. We are already collecting it. If you have had a shared care decision from your GP or a Right to Choose experience, your report takes 10 seconds and contributes to the UK's first crowdsourced dataset of post-diagnosis outcomes.
Share my experienceSource: Independent Review into Mental Health Conditions, ADHD and Autism: Interim Report. Published 10 June 2026. Department of Health and Social Care. Chaired by Professor Peter Fonagy. Read the full report on gov.uk
Last reviewed: June 2026. This article is based directly on the Independent Review interim report published by the Department of Health and Social Care. All interpretations are our own. This article is for general information only and is not a substitute for clinical or legal advice.