Top health civil servant urged to play no role in clampdown on ADHD clinics

A senior civil servant should not participate in the government's crackdown on private ADHD and autism clinics due to her recent ties to the industry, according to four MPs. Samantha Jones, the permanent secretary of the Department of Health and Social Care, is being urged by Labour and Liberal Democrat MPs to step back from any involvement in plans to strengthen regulation of the rapidly growing market for private neurodiversity assessments.

The MPs argue that Jones's connections to ADHD360, a major provider of NHS-funded neurodiversity assessments, pose a serious conflict of interest. Over the past six years, ADHD360 has earned £26 million from the health service in England. The government is currently developing plans to better regulate the private clinics that offer assessment, diagnosis, and treatment for ADHD and autism, which have seen significant growth as access to NHS care has become increasingly difficult.

This push for regulation follows the acceptance of a review by Prof. Peter Fonagy, which highlighted concerns regarding the “consistency and quality” of assessments conducted by private providers, noting that they often have financial incentives to diagnose and treat individuals.

As the permanent secretary, Jones is responsible for overseeing the implementation of health policy decisions and is expected to advise ministers on how to enhance regulation of private ADHD and autism services. Yvette Cooper, the health secretary, has committed to introducing a more stringent regulatory framework.