Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and Autism: Children and Young People
(asked on 22nd March 2023) - View Source
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department are taking to reduce waiting times for young people waiting for an (a) Autism and (b) ADHD diagnosis; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by
Maria Caulfield
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
This specific assessment has not been made. We expect integrated care boards to have due regard to relevant best practice guidelines when commissioning autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) services for children and young people.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) recommends a maximum waiting time of 13 weeks between a referral for an autism assessment and a first appointment. While we want every area to meet NICE guidance, we recognise that this is not happening everywhere. NHS England publish quarterly data on how many people are waiting for an autism assessment, and for how long, by local area. The data provides useful information to support local areas to identify and manage local demand.
We are investing £2.5 million in 2022/2023 to test and embed improved autism diagnostic pathways. NHS England will publish in due course a national framework to support partners in local areas to commission and deliver autism assessment services for children, young people and adults. The aim of the framework is to improve access to and the quality of these assessment processes, reduce the time that people wait for an assessment, as well as improving consistency of support for people while they wait for an autism assessment or after they are diagnosed, including mental health and peer support.
With regard to ADHD, while NICE does not recommend a maximum waiting time standard from referral for an assessment of ADHD to the point of diagnosis, a diagnosis of ADHD should be made as soon as possible. In a recent Westminster Hall debate on 1 February 2023, I committed to look at how we can improve data on ADHD assessment waiting times, to help improve access to ADHD assessments in a timely way and in line with the NICE guideline on ADHD.