NHS ADHD spending over budget by £164m as unregulated clinics boom

Exclusive: Total spending in England expected to double existing budgets, with funding for private providers rising threefold

The NHS is overspending by 164m a year on attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) services, with an increasing amount going to unregulated private assessments, a Guardian investigation has found.

Analysis shows that total spending on NHS ADHD services is expected to be more than double existing budgets. Further data shows the amount spent on private ADHD services has more than tripled over three years.