Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to support people who receive a neurodevelopmental diagnosis in adulthood, particularly women, and ensure that health professionals effectively guide people to appropriate local services and support.

The Government is committed to supporting people with neurodevelopmental conditions, including women and those diagnosed in adulthood, so that they receive the right support, tailored to their individual needs, to live well in their communities.

Following a neurodevelopmental diagnosis, adults can access a range of health and care support. Integrated care boards are responsible for assessing individual’s health needs and local authorities are responsible for an individual’s care and support needs, and making appropriate provision available locally, including access to support services. NHS Talking Therapies are also available for adults with neurodevelopmental conditions experiencing depression or anxiety.

NHS England’s national operational guidance on autism sets out that post-diagnostic support should include appropriate information and signposting or facilitating introductions to other services within or beyond health. Post-diagnostic support can also include signposting to sources of help for other conditions or provision of support around accepting and understanding a diagnosis.

Similarly, National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidance on attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) recommends that people diagnosed with ADHD are provided with information, support, and advice to help them understand and manage their condition and access appropriate local services.

In December 2025, the Government launched the Independent Review into the Prevalence and Support for Mental Health Conditions, ADHD and Autism. The interim report, published in March 2026, finds that access to diagnosis and support remains uneven, with some groups and individuals still under-identified, while others are entering diagnostic pathways in increasing numbers. The next phase will examine inequalities in prevalence, diagnosis, support, and outcomes in more detail, including variation by age, sex, ethnicity, deprivation and other characteristics. The final report, due in the summer, will make recommendations on how the Government, the health system, and wider public services can respond to increasing demand for support more fairly and effectively so that people receive the right support, at the right time, in the right place.

Separately, we will develop and publish a revised cross-Government autism strategy. The current strategy will remain in effect until a revised strategy is published. This will be informed by all relevant evidence, reviews, and reports, including the recommendations from the House of Lords Autism Act 2009 Inquiry Committee report and the Independent Review into Prevalence and Support for Mental Health Conditions, ADHD and Autism. As part of this work, we will consider and seek the views of stakeholders as to whether the revised autism strategy should be extended to cover ADHD.