Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what guidance his Department has issued to NHS bodies on the (a) clinical, (b) functional and (c) other criteria to be used when prioritising patients for (i) Autism and (ii) ADHD assessments; what oversight arrangements are in place for decisions made by NHS bodies on the prioritisation of patients for Autism and ADHD assessments; and whether his Department has (A) undertaken and (B) required NHS bodies to undertake an Equality Impact Assessment in relation to restrictions or prioritisation decisions affecting access to Autism and ADHD assessments.

The Department has not issued guidance to National Health Service bodies on the criteria for autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) assessments. The Department has not undertaken an Equality Impact Assessment on the prioritisation decisions about access to autism and ADHD diagnostic assessments.

Integrated care boards (ICBs) should ensure appropriate impact assessment or assessments are completed as part of planning, via locally agreed mechanisms, considering both the Public Sector Equality Duty, under the Equality Act 2010, and the Health Inequalities Duty, under the Health and Social Care Act 2012. These should recognise that the experiences of neurodivergent people differ from that of the broader population.

ICBs are responsible for planning and commissioning services to meet the needs of their local populations, including making decisions about how best to manage demand and capacity within available resources. Where an ICB has taken a decision to pause or manage activity within a Right to Choose pathway, it is for that ICB to determine and apply any local prioritisation criteria, taking account of clinical need and patient safety. It is the responsibility of the local system to decide whether to publish criteria, and to ensure that patients, families, and the public are communicated with clearly and provided with appropriate information.

NHS England provides guidance and oversight to ICBs to support them in meeting their statutory duties, including in relation to patient choice. The Government is committed to patients having the right to choose their provider when referred to consultant-led treatment, or to a mental health professional, for their first appointment as an outpatient. Patients’ right to choose is set out in legislation and no changes are being made to this legal right. Further information on the choices available for patients can be found on the NHS Choice framework, available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-nhs-choice-framework

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 improve the experience for those referred to a service.