{
  "id": 3429920,
  "title": "Autism and ADHD care complaints more than triple in five years in England",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/26/autism-and-adhd-care-complaints-more-than-triple-in-five-years-in",
  "topic": "health",
  "section": "Health & Medicine",
  "published": "2026-08-26T05:00:34.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Guardian Health",
    "slug": "guardian-health",
    "url": "https://www.theguardian.com/society/2026/aug/26/autism-adhd-care-complaints-england-triple-five-years"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": null,
  "summary": "Complaints about autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder services in England have more than tripled in the past five years, according to official figures. The NHS ombudsman has warned of years-long waits and patients paying thousands of pounds for private care due to the soaring demand for these services. A woman was removed from an ADHD medication waiting list without warning after nearly four years, leaving her without the necessary support for about six months. Another patient received an autism assessment that lasted only 50 minutes, failing to adhere to the guidelines set by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. Additionally, a man referred to an ADHD service that was not yet operational ended up paying nearly £4,000 for private treatment.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}