Exclusive: Total spending in England expected to double existing budgets, with funding for private providers rising threefold
The NHS is overspending by £164m a year on attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) services, with an increasing amount going to unregulated private assessments, a Guardian investigation has found.
Analysis shows that total spending on NHS ADHD services is expected to be more than double existing budgets. Further data shows the amount spent on private ADHD services has more than tripled over three years.
Experts have warned that assessments provided by private providers can be unreliable, pointing to cases in which patients have been harmed by poor continuity of care after private diagnoses.
Demand for ADHD assessments has reached record levels as awareness of the condition has increased and NHS services have become increasingly stretched, with more than half a million people now waiting for an assessment.
