NHS faces exodus of ADHD and autism services staff to private clinics

Brain drain of psychologists, psychiatrists and nurses leaves NHS ‘weaker’, driving patients to seek care elsewhere

• Full report | NHS at risk of ‘system failures’ as demand for ADHD and autism care soars, inquiry finds

The NHS is facing an exodus of staff quitting its ADHD and autism services to join private clinics amid huge demand from children and adults to get a diagnosis.

The loss of specialist personnel to the private sector has already forced one NHS trust in England to limit access to its neurodevelopmental service to only the most urgent cases.