22/10/2026
The Fonagy review has been quietly amended. And one word caught my attention.
On 21 October, the Department of Health and Social Care updated the executive summary of its independent review into mental health, ADHD and autism.
The original report stated that diagnosis had increasingly “become a requirement” to access help.
The revised version says it has increasingly “been perceived as a requirement”.
Now, that might seem like an insignificant editorial change. But there’s an important distinction between identifying an actual barrier to support and suggesting that people merely perceive one.
The report still acknowledges that diagnosis has become a primary gateway to help, and its central recommendation is to move towards a needs-led plus diagnosis system.
I support the principle of providing practical help without requiring people to wait years for a diagnostic assessment.
But that must mean more support, not fewer routes to diagnosis and treatment.
To be clear, we don’t know why this particular wording was changed. It could be an attempt at greater technical precision rather than a change in policy direction.
Nevertheless, given the significance of this review for the future of ADHD and autism services, I think it’s reasonable to ask for an explanation.
Because when we’re discussing barriers to healthcare, the distinction between “this is happening” and “people think this is happening” is fu***ng important!
And after years of people struggling to access appropriate support, the last thing we need is for the problem to become a misunderstanding that can apparently be solved with a leaflet.
What do you make of the amendment?
Source: Department of Health and Social Care, Independent review into mental health conditions, ADHD and autism: final report, published 9 October 2026, updated 21 October 2026. Amendment recorded in the official GOV.UK update history.
