NHS England mental health services review: what has it found and what does it recommend?

Prof Peter Fonagy’s 607-page report is categoric that mental distress has increased substantially and ‘cannot be explained by greater awareness alone’

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The Fonagy review of NHS England’s mental health, ADHD and autism services was commissioned in 2025 by Wes Streeting, then the health secretary, in response to growing concerns that spiralling waiting lists for assessment, diagnosis and care threatened the NHS’s ability to meet the demand.

The 607-page report, published on Friday, says that without a radical overhaul, mental health and neurodiversity services will be overwhelmed. Here are some of its key findings and recommendations.