Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential need to improve screening for hypermobility in neurodivergent individuals.

It is the responsibility of the integrated care boards (ICBs) to make available appropriate provision to meet the health and care needs of their local population, including support for neurodivergent people. We expect ICBs to have due regard to National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines when commissioning services, and for healthcare professionals to take these guidelines into account for the care and treatment of patients. NICE guidelines are developed by experts based on a thorough assessment of the available evidence and through extensive engagement with stakeholders. The NICE guidelines on autism and those on attention deficit hyperactivity disorder highlight that, as part of the diagnostic process, clinicians should include an assessment of the person’s needs, co-existing conditions, and physical health, including fine and gross motor skills.

In April 2023, NHS England published a national framework and operational guidance for autism assessment services, which can be found at the following link:

www.england.nhs.uk/publication/autism-diagnosis-and-operational-guidance

This guidance intends to help the NHS improve autism assessment services and the experience for those referred to an autism assessment service. The guidance highlights that physical health, and needs and difficulties, should feature as themes for discussion during the assessment process.