NHS England to consult on national prices for ADHD and autism services

NHS England will consult on a national set of prices for NHS-funded autism and ADHD services, covering assessment, post-diagnostic support and follow-ups, and intends to introduce finalised payment arrangements from April 2027, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) said on 9 October 2026. The government also said it is working towards making all ADHD and autism diagnostic assessments an activity regulated by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), whether the patient is NHS-funded, non-NHS-funded or self-funding.

The measures are part of the government’s response to the final report of the Independent review into mental health conditions, ADHD and autism, published the same day. The review was chaired by Professor Peter Fonagy, head of the UCL Division of Psychology and Language Sciences, with Professor Sir Simon Wessely and Professor Gillian Baird as vice-chairs. DHSC did not give a date for the price consultation, any indicative price levels or a timetable for CQC regulation.

Prices, regulation and advertising

The department did not say how national prices would relate to current commissioning arrangements for these services, or whether they would apply to independent sector providers delivering NHS-funded assessments on the same terms as NHS trusts. It published no figures on referral volumes, waiting times or spending on assessments.

On regulation, DHSC said it would work with NHS England and the CQC so that a diagnosis is accurate wherever a patient is assessed. In a speech at the review’s launch event, hosted by Rethink Mental Illness, Alison McGovern, Minister for Social Care and Mental Health, described bringing all ADHD and autism assessments under CQC regulation as an immediate action. Neither the release nor the speech gave a start date.

The review recommended banning direct-to-public advertising of NHS-funded assessments. The government did not commit to a ban. Instead, Yvette Cooper, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, will write to the Advertising Standards Authority on adverts for autism and ADHD services, with the aim that people receive accurate information and are not exploited by companies encouraging them to seek assessments they may not need, according to the release. The government will also work with the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) to consider urgently what the report means for its autism and ADHD guidance.

Demand and the wider strategy

The review found that referrals for and diagnoses of ADHD and autism have risen significantly while population-level prevalence appears broadly stable, the release said. Alongside the regulatory measures, the government pledged earlier, needs-led support for people in mental distress without the need to wait for a clinical diagnosis, with diagnosis and treatment remaining available where clinically appropriate. These changes will be set out in a cross-government mental health strategy that ministers said would follow in the coming months.

The release said NHS mental health spending is forecast to reach a record GBP 16.1 billion this year and that GBP 7 million will go to early support hubs in 2026 to 2027. It also cited a target for 915,000 people to complete an NHS talking therapies course by March 2029 and for mental health support teams to reach every school and college by 2029.

Our reading

Analysis by The Healthcare Daily.

• For independent sector providers that carry out NHS-funded ADHD and autism assessments, a national price from April 2027 would set income per pathway centrally; the consultation, for which no date or price levels have been given, is the main point at which operators can influence the rate.
• Bringing self-funded assessments under CQC regulation would extend registration and inspection costs to private clinics whose assessment work is not already regulated, and could favour larger providers able to absorb compliance overheads.
• New payment arrangements are intended from April 2027, and the cross-government strategy that will set out the needs-led model is promised for later this year. Commissioners will need the tariff design and the move away from reliance on diagnosis to fit together.
• The referral to the Advertising Standards Authority, rather than an outright ban, points to closer scrutiny of provider marketing; firms that advertise assessments directly to the public should review claims now.