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<p>It is the responsibility of integrated care boards (ICBs) to make available appropriate
provision to meet the health and care needs of their local population, including access
to assessment and treatment for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), in
line with relevant National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidance.
The NICE guideline on ADHD does not recommend a maximum waiting time from referral
for an assessment of ADHD to the point of assessment or diagnosis.</p><p>Whilst the
Department has not made a specific assessment, Suffolk and North East Essex ICB advises
that it has undertaken a review of children’s ADHD and autism services. As a result
of the review, and current demand, the ICB has agreed additional funding of £3.3 million
to support the services to not only reduce the time children are waiting for assessment
but also increase the service provision to meet future demand. The ICB is also looking
at potential new models of delivery and at the current pathways to see how it can
utilise them more efficiently to ensure a smoother process for families.</p><p>In
respect of adult ADHD and autism services, the ICB has worked closely with its local
National Health Service provider, Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust, to closely
monitor and respond to increases in demand. In March 2024, the ICB agreed to invest
£300,000 to support those patients on the waiting list with additional advice and
support.</p><p>In respect of the adequacy of ADHD service provision nationally, in
December 2023, NHS England initiated a rapid piece of work to consider ADHD service
provision within the NHS. The initial phase of work identified challenges, including
with current service models and the ability to keep pace with demand. Following this
initial review, NHS England is establishing a new ADHD taskforce alongside the government,
to look at ADHD service provision and its impact on patient experience. The new taskforce
will bring together expertise from across a broad range of sectors, including the
NHS, education and justice, to better understand the challenges affecting people with
ADHD and help provide a joined-up approach in response to concerns around rising demand.</p><p>Alongside
the work of the taskforce, NHS England has announced that it will continue to work
with stakeholders to develop a national ADHD data improvement plan, carry out more
detailed work to understand the provider and commissioning landscape and capture examples
from local health systems which are trialling innovative ways of delivering ADHD services
to ensure best practice is captured and shared across the system.</p>
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