Autism and ADHD Diagnostic Services Are Coming Under CQC Regulation: Is Your Evidence Ready?
The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has asked the Care Quality Commission (CQC) to regulate all diagnostic assessments for autism and ADHD, once new regulations are in place. Services that only diagnose, and do not treat, have so far sat outside CQC’s remit. That is about to change, and those services will need to show inspectors that they are safe, effective and well run.
What has been announced
CQC confirmed the change on 9 October 2026. It follows an independent review chaired by Professor Peter Fonagy into the prevalence of, and support for, mental health conditions, ADHD and autism.
At present, CQC regulates services that offer both diagnosis and treatment of ADHD and autism. Current legislation does not allow it to regulate diagnosis-only services. The new regulations will close that gap. CQC’s interim Chief Inspector of Mental Health Care, Adrian James, said this will give people receiving these diagnoses far greater confidence in the service they receive.
What is not yet known
The regulations are not yet in place, and CQC has said it will work with stakeholders to develop this work. The registration requirements and timescales have not been confirmed, so providers should watch for further announcements rather than assume the detail.
Why evidence matters from the start
Once a service is regulated, it will be assessed by CQC like any other. Every CQC inspection is structured around the same five key questions: is the service safe, effective, caring, responsive and well led? Services that already keep their policies, training records, audits and governance evidence organised against those questions will find the transition far easier than those starting from scattered documents.
Some practical questions for diagnostic services to ask now:
- Can we show that our assessors are appropriately trained, and that training is up to date?
- Do we have clear, current policies and audit records covering how assessments are carried out and recorded?
- Could we pull together evidence for each of the five key questions quickly if asked?
- Do we know who is responsible for monitoring changes in regulation?
How HLTH Manage can help
HLTH Manage provides compliance software and operational tools for care providers, including tools that help organise evidence and track staff training. To see how this could support your service, book a demonstration at hlth-manage.com.
Source: CQC announcement, published 9 October 2026.