Wes Streeting orders mental health diagnosis review amid welfare spending crackdown
Wes Streeting has ordered a review of the diagnosis of mental health problems as the government heads for a significant increase in welfare spending.
The Health Minister’s decision comes amid concerns about a sharp increase in the number of individuals claiming sickness benefits due to diagnoses of mental illness, autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Times.
Mr Streeting has reportedly tasked leading experts with investigating whether common human emotions have “become hyper-pathological”.
The move is part of a wider effort to tackle the growing number of working-age people claiming sickness or disability benefits, now totaling 4.4 million.
This figure represents an increase of 1.2 million since 2019.
Over the same period, there has been a rapid increase in the number of young people aged 16 to 34 who are unable to work due to long-term illnesses linked to mental health problems.
The review underlines the government’s wider agenda to manage the growing national welfare bill.
Earlier this year ministers were forced to abandon plans to reform disability benefits, including for those with mental health problems, in the face of backbencher opposition from Labour.
Sir Keir Starmer signaled the government would take another step on welfare reform on Monday, claiming the system “traps people not only in poverty but also in unemployment”.
Mr Streeting told Times He knew “from personal experience how devastating this can be for people with poor mental health, ADHD or autism, who don’t get a diagnosis or the right support.”
He added: “I also know from conversations with clinicians how diagnoses of these conditions are increasing rapidly.
“We definitely need to look at this through a clinical lens to understand in an evidence-based way what we know, what we don’t know, and what these patterns tell us about our mental health system, our autism and ADHD services.
“This is the only way to ensure everyone has timely access to accurate diagnosis and effective support.”
The investigation is expected to begin on Thursday Times.
It will be chaired by Professor Peter Fonagy, a clinical psychologist specializing in child mental health at University College London, with Sir Simon Wessely, former president of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, as vice-chair.
Professor Fonagy told Times: “We will carefully examine evidence from research, people with lived experience and clinicians working on the front lines of mental health, autism and ADHD services to get a solid understanding of what is driving increased demand.”
