Former health secretary Jeremy Hunt has warned that young people are being 'overdiagnosed' with mental health conditions, arguing that society has lost sight of the fact that child development is a 'messy and uneven process'. Writing in the foreword of a Policy Exchange report titled 'Out of Control', the Conservative MP said the system is overwhelmed by a socially expanded definition of mental ill health and neurodivergence.
The report highlights that one in five children in England now have special educational needs and disabilities (Send), placing huge pressure on support services. Since 2015, Send spending has increased by £4.5 billion, with requests for support rising annually. In January 2025, there were 638,745 education, health and care plans (EHCPs) in place, up 10.8% on the previous year.
Hunt questioned whether cash transfers or diagnostic labels are the right way to help young people, and emphasised the importance of good work, physical activity, and social connection. He said: 'Our laudable desire to ensure young people are happy and well-supported is at times manifesting in excessive impulses to medicalise and diagnose the routine, in a manner that can undercut grit and resilience.'
The Policy Exchange report recommends limiting EHCPs to students in special schools and targeting mental health support at those who most need it, rather than offering blanket support. It also suggests doubling the time a person must have a condition to be eligible for Personal Independence Payment from nine to 18 months, and replacing the Children and Families Act 2014 and 2015 Send Code of Practice with a new statutory regime.
Co-author Jean-Andre Prager called for a fundamental reform of the health and disability benefit system, including Child Disability Living Allowance, which he described as 'from a bygone era'. The government is expected to publish a white paper on Send reform in the autumn, with Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson insisting there will 'always be a legal right to the additional support that children with Send need'.
