This final report presents the findings and recommendations of the independent review into mental health conditions, ADHD and autism, including:
- trends in prevalence, need and demand, and the factors driving them
- the benefits and potential risks of diagnosis, and how support can be better tailored to individual needs
- the effectiveness of current services, including waiting times, inequalities and gaps in provision
- recommendations to strengthen prevention, provide earlier support, improve care, and deliver long-term reform
In response to the findings, RCPCH Officer for Health Services, Dr Ronny Cheung, said:
Paediatricians are increasingly caring for children and young people experiencing significant emotional and mental distress. Our experiences on the frontline mirror the evidence in the Fonagy Review. Both paint a stark picture of a growing crisis in children’s mental health and long waiting times for neurodevelopmental services. Demand for assessment, diagnosis and treatment has reached unprecedented levels, leaving far too many children facing long waits for support.
Too often, a diagnosis is the only route to accessing meaningful help. This means that children and families can be left struggling alone while waiting for assessments, with little or no support available in the meantime. We therefore welcome the Fonagy review’s recommendation for a needs-led plus diagnosis model of care, which would enable children to receive support based on the challenges they are facing, rather than having to wait for a formal diagnosis.
Moreover, the review's recommendation of moving to a singular service for neurodevelopmental and mental health assessment and support will ensure children and young people can seamlessly and more quickly access a robust, holistic and reliable standard of care.
These measures would be important steps towards improving children’s wellbeing and ensuring that need is identified appropriately, and support is available when it is needed most. However, it must be accompanied by sustained investment in diagnostic and specialist services, which remain essential to providing timely, high-quality care for children and young people.