Overdiagnosis Of Children Overlooks That Growing Up Is ‘messy And Uneven’, Says Jeremy Hunt

Children and young group are being overdiagnosed pinch intelligence wellness conditions successful a nine that has mislaid show of nan reality that kid improvement is “messy and uneven”, nan erstwhile wellness caput Jeremy Hunt has said.

He is nan latest elder fig to adhd his sound to calls for a extremist overhaul of nan typical acquisition needs and disabilities (Send) strategy successful England.

Hunt said successful his half decade arsenic wellness secretary, he witnessed “an alarming escalation” successful nan prevalence and severity of intelligence ill-health among young people, arsenic good arsenic important increases successful diagnoses of neurodevelopmental conditions.

In a foreword to a caller study by nan centre-right thinktank Policy Exchange, Hunt said: “Mental ill-health and neurodiversity now accounts for much than half of nan post-pandemic summation we person seen successful claimants of disablement benefit. Spending connected Send proviso has sky-rocketed and risks nan financial sustainability of section government.

“Rather than assuming that much money aliases much of nan aforesaid is nan answer, we request to inquire much basal questions. Is a rate transportation – aliases a explanation that intends young group are treated and travel to spot themselves arsenic different – nan correct measurement to thief them?”

He added: “Across nan governmental spectrum, and amongst a increasing scope of practitioners, it is now recognised that location is simply a level of ‘overdiagnosis’ [in] our system. We request to trim done nan complexity to amended understand nan drivers of request we are seeing.”

Hunt, who is Conservative MP for Godalming and Ash, and has besides served arsenic chancellor and overseas caput nether nan Conservatives, said: “As a society, we look to person mislaid show of nan basal reality that kid improvement is simply a messy and uneven process.

“Our laudable desire to guarantee young group are happy and well-supported is astatine times manifesting successful excessive impulses to medicalise and diagnose nan regular successful a mode that tin undercut grit and resilience.”

The authorities is expected to people a achromatic insubstantial later this twelvemonth detailing really it plans to betterment nan Send system. Parents are concerned that education, wellness and attraction plans (EHCPs) – legally enforceable documents that item a kid aliases young person’s needs, and nan support they require – will beryllium targeted.

In January this twelvemonth nan number of EHCPs successful spot roseate to 638,745 – up 10.8% connected nan aforesaid constituent past year. The Policy Exchange report, Out of Control, says EHCPs should beryllium constricted to students successful typical schools and that schoolhouse intelligence wellness support should beryllium targeted astatine those “that astir request it, alternatively than broad offers”.

Tania Tirraoro, co-director of Special Needs Jungle, a parent-led Send website, said: “It’s a spot rich | of Jeremy Hunt to declare this, fixed his authorities presided complete heavy cuts to nationalist services, including Camhs [Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services], a narrowed curriculum, meaning children who thrived successful arts and applicable subjects were trim adrift, and a botched consequence to nan pandemic.

“What we are seeing now is nan consequence of that – young group who person grown up successful a dispute environment, trying to navigate an detonation of unregulated societal media and without nan support services they need. It is astir surely not wide accepted that location is an overdiagnosis – this is thing put retired by group for illustration him to deflect from these failings.”

The Department for Education was approached for comment. The acquisition secretary, Bridget Phillipson, antecedently said nan authorities will protect nan ineligible correct to further support for children pinch Send.