With NHS mental health referrals exceeding 500,000 in October and diagnoses for conditions such as autism, ADHD and depression under national review, Healix Health says employers are increasingly stepping in to provide timely access to support. Director of Corporate Proposition Sarah Taylor highlights a 78% rise in neurodiversity-related healthcare benefits in the first half of the year, much of it for young people. The trend underscores the growing role of employer-backed health benefits as public services struggle to keep pace.
Sarah Taylor, Director of Corporate Proposition at Healix Health, comments:
“October’s NHS mental health figures again highlight the pressure on services, with over 500,000 new referrals – around 100,000 more than in August. This latest data release coincides with Wes Streeting’s decision last week to launch a review of the rise in diagnoses for conditions such as depression, autism and ADHD, which reflects growing concern about how these conditions are being identified and whether people can access the right support once they have a diagnosis.
When we look at our own data, demand for neurodiversity support continues to rise. Neurodiversity-related employee healthcare benefits increased by 78% in the first half of this year compared with the same period last year, covering both diagnostic assessments and ongoing support. Almost half of those accessing these services were aged 0–21, showing how strongly this is affecting young people. With public services struggling to keep up, employers are now playing a much bigger role in giving people timely access to assessments and guidance, and that responsibility is only set to grow as the national review progresses.”
