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1697264

registered interest
date	19/03/2024
answering body	Department of Health and Social Care
answering dept id	17
answering dept short name	Health and Social Care
answering dept sort name	Health and Social Care
hansard heading	Autism: Children
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to improve early diagnosis and intervention for children with autism spectrum disorders.
tabling member printed	Lord Hay of Ballyore
uin	HL3386
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/03/2024 answer text <p>We recognise timely identification of autism can play an important role in enabling children and young people to get appropriate support, which is crucial in preventing escalation of needs. We expect integrated care boards (ICBs) to have due regard to National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines on autism when commissioning services. It is the responsibility of ICBs to make available appropriate provision to meet the health and care needs of their local population in line with these NICE guidelines, including in relation to autism assessment. While we want every area to meet NICE guidance, we recognise that this is not happening everywhere.</p><p>On 5 April 2023, NHS England published a national framework and operational guidance for autism assessment services in an online-only format. This guidance will help the National Health Service improve autism assessment services and improve the experience for people referred to an autism assessment service. This includes guidance to local areas on how to manage referrals and the support that should be available whilst people are waiting for an assessment and after.</p><p>In 2023/2024, £4.2 million of funding is available across England to improve services for autistic children and young people, including autism assessment services. We are also working in partnership with the Department for Education and NHS England on ‘Partnerships for Inclusion of Neurodiversity in School’ (PINS), with £13 million of funding to test ideas that will improve access to specialist support for neurodiverse children in mainstream primary schools.</p><p>Each ICB in England is expected to have an Executive Lead for learning disability and autism, supporting the Board in planning to meet the needs of its local population of people with a learning disability and autistic people, including in relation to appropriate autism assessment pathways. NHS England has published guidance on these roles.</p> answering member printed Lord Markham question first answered 26/03/2024 17:29:28 answering member 4948 label Biography information for Lord Markham
tabling member	4352 label Biography information for Lord Hay of Ballyore

1696430

registered interest
date	15/03/2024
answering body	Department of Health and Social Care
answering dept id	17
answering dept short name	Health and Social Care
answering dept sort name	Health and Social Care
hansard heading	Autism: Children
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many children are waiting for (a) an assessment and (b) a diagnosis for autism spectrum disorder.
tabling member constituency	St Ives
tabling member printed	Derek Thomas
uin	18916
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/03/2024 answer text <p>The latest autism assessment waiting times data drawn from the Mental Health Services Dataset was published on 14 March 2024. This data showed that the number of people aged zero to 17 years old with an open referral for suspected autism was 102,024 in December 2023. The data also showed that, in December 2023, 6.3% of patients, or 5,443 patients, aged zero to 17 years old received a first contact appointment within 13 weeks.</p><p>Data on children and young people in this dataset is expected to be an underestimate. Caution should be used when interpreting these statistics since they are experimental rather than official statistics. The majority of children assessed for autism in the United Kingdom are seen in child development services, which are out of the scope of this dataset. This means the published figures will underestimate the volume of referrals or diagnoses and the associated impact on health services. NHS England continue to conduct exploratory analysis into the Community Services Dataset, with a view to include autism waiting times data from this dataset. This should improve the coverage of this data.</p> answering member constituency Lewes answering member printed Maria Caulfield question first answered 22/03/2024 15:21:08 answering member 4492 label Biography information for Maria Caulfield
tabling member	4532 label Biography information for Derek Thomas

1696431

registered interest
date	15/03/2024
answering body	Department of Health and Social Care
answering dept id	17
answering dept short name	Health and Social Care
answering dept sort name	Health and Social Care
hansard heading	Autism: Children
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to help reduce waiting times for autism spectrum disorder assessments for children.
tabling member constituency	St Ives
tabling member printed	Derek Thomas
uin	18917
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/03/2024 answer text <p>We expect integrated care boards (ICBs) to have due regard to National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines on autism, when commissioning services. It is the responsibility of ICBs to make available appropriate provision to meet the health and care needs of their local population, in line with these NICE guidelines.</p><p> </p><p>In 2023 NHS England published a national framework and operational guidance for all age autism diagnostic assessment services. This guidance will help the National Health Service improve all age autism assessment services and improve the experience for people referred to an autism assessment service.</p><p> </p><p>We have invested in improving autism assessment services over recent years, including £2.5 million in 2022/23 to support local areas with improvements in autism assessment pathways. For 2023/2024, £4.2 million of funding is available across England to improve services for autistic children and young people, including autism assessment services.</p><p> </p><p>NHS England publishes quarterly data on how many people are waiting for an autism assessment and for how long. While these are experimental statistics, the data does provide useful information nationally and locally, to support local areas in improving their performance and reducing assessment waiting times.</p><p> </p><p>Each ICB in England is expected to have an Executive Lead for learning disability and autism, supporting the board in planning to meet the needs of its local population of people with a learning disability and autism, including in relation to appropriate autism assessment pathways. NHS England has published guidance on these roles.</p> answering member constituency Lewes answering member printed Maria Caulfield question first answered 22/03/2024 15:27:48 answering member 4492 label Biography information for Maria Caulfield
tabling member	4532 label Biography information for Derek Thomas

1676018

registered interest
date	06/12/2023
answering body	Department of Health and Social Care
answering dept id	17
answering dept short name	Health and Social Care
answering dept sort name	Health and Social Care
hansard heading	Autism: Children
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will make an estimate of the number of school-age children who have been waiting for an autism diagnosis for longer than six months; and if she will make an assessment with the Secretary of State for Education of the potential impact of delays in autism diagnoses on secondary school examinations.
tabling member constituency	Tewkesbury
tabling member printed	Mr Laurence Robertson
uin	5467
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/12/2023 answer text <p>Data on the number of school-age children who have been waiting for an autism diagnosis for longer than six months is not held centrally. The autism assessment waiting times data published on 14 September 2023 showed that the number of people aged between zero and 17 years old with an open referral for suspected autism was 84,054 in June 2023. The data also showed that, in June 2023, 6.7% of patients, or 4,581, aged between zero and 17 years old with an open suspected autism referral in the month, that has been open for at least 13 weeks, received a first appointment in 13 weeks or less. Data on the number of children and young people in this dataset is expected to be an underestimate. The subsequent waiting times publication is 14 December 2023.</p><p>Whilst we have no plans to make an assessment on the potential impact of delays in autism diagnoses on examinations in secondary schools, we recognise the importance of early identification of neurodiverse conditions, such as autism, so that an individual’s needs can be identified sooner, and support put in place earlier in life, including the support that autistic children should receive.</p><p>The Department of Health and Social Care is working closely with the Department for Education to ensure that children and young people with special educational needs and disability (SEND), including autistic children, receive the right support, in the right place, at the right time. We are doing this through working together to implement the SEND and Alternative Provision Improvement Plan, which was published on 2 March 2023.</p><p>On 22 November 2023, we announced the Partnerships for Inclusion of Neurodiversity in Schools programme. This new programme, backed by £13 million of investment, is a partnership between the Department of Health and Social Care, the Department for Education and NHS England, and will bring together integrated care boards (ICBs), local authorities, and schools, working in partnership with parents and carers to support schools to better meet the needs of neurodiverse children, including autistic children and those who are undiagnosed or awaiting an assessment.</p><p>In relation to examinations, access arrangements can be agreed with exam boards for candidates with specific needs, including special educational needs and disabilities, to help them access assessments to show what they know and can do without affecting the integrity of the assessment.</p> answering member constituency Lewes answering member printed Maria Caulfield question first answered 11/12/2023 14:27:33 answering member 4492 label Biography information for Maria Caulfield
tabling member	253 label Biography information for Mr Laurence Robertson

1653827

registered interest
date	18/07/2023
answering body	Department of Health and Social Care
answering dept id	17
answering dept short name	Health and Social Care
answering dept sort name	Health and Social Care
hansard heading	Autism: Children
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to help reduce waiting times for autism spectrum disorder assessments for children.
tabling member constituency	Newcastle upon Tyne East
tabling member printed	Mr Nicholas Brown
uin	194680
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/07/2023 answer text <p>On 5 April 2023, NHS England published a national framework and operational guidance for autism assessment services. These documents will help the National Health Service to improve their autism assessment services and improve the experience for children who are referred to an autism assessment service.</p><p>In addition, each integrated care board is expected to have an Executive Lead, supporting the board in planning to meet the needs of its local population of people with a learning disability and autistic people, including by ensuring appropriate assessment and diagnosis pathways.</p><p>This year (2023/24), £4.2 million is available to improve services for autistic children and young people, including autism assessment services and pre- and post-diagnostic support, and the continuation of the ‘Autism in Schools’ programme.</p> answering member constituency Lewes answering member printed Maria Caulfield question first answered 24/07/2023 10:48:57 answering member 4492 label Biography information for Maria Caulfield
tabling member	523 label Biography information for Mr Nicholas Brown

1643778

registered interest
date	12/06/2023
answering body	Department of Health and Social Care
answering dept id	17
answering dept short name	Health and Social Care
answering dept sort name	Health and Social Care
hansard heading	Autism: Children
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether Department is taking steps to ensure that interim support is provided for children awaiting an assessment for autism.
tabling member constituency	Nottingham East
tabling member printed	Nadia Whittome
uin	189096
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/06/2023 answer text <p>NHS England has recently published a national framework and Operational Guidance to deliver improved outcomes in all-age autism assessment pathways. The guidance aims to support integrated care systems to make the best of their resources by setting out how pathways can best be delivered and is supplementary to relevant National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidance on autism. This guidance provides information on facilitating appropriate pre-assessment support while people are waiting for an assessment, including specific factors which may be relevant for children. This will help improve the experience of people, including children, who are awaiting an autism assessment.</p><p>This year, 2023/2024, £4.2 million of funding is available to improve services for autistic children and young people, including autism assessment services and pre- and post-diagnostic support, and the continuation of the ‘Autism in Schools’ programme.</p><p>The ‘Special Educational Needs and Disability Code of Practice: 0 to 25 years’ is clear that meeting the needs of a child with Special Educational Needs does not require a diagnostic label or test. The Department for Education has invested £600,000 in a pilot in schools which looked to improve early identification of autism and other neurodiverse conditions. This has led to the development of an electronic neurodiversity profiling tool which helps schools identify children with autism and other neurodiverse conditions early, so that they can put proven support mechanisms in place. This tool is now being used in the Bradford area.</p> answering member constituency Lewes answering member printed Maria Caulfield question first answered 26/06/2023 13:51:11 answering member 4492 label Biography information for Maria Caulfield previous answer version 81696 answering member constituency Lewes answering member printed Maria Caulfield answering member 4492 label Biography information for Maria Caulfield
tabling member	4869 label Biography information for Nadia Whittome

1626964

registered interest
date	11/05/2023
answering body	Department of Health and Social Care
answering dept id	17
answering dept short name	Health and Social Care
answering dept sort name	Health and Social Care
hansard heading	Autism: Children
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the adequacy of the availability of mental health units for children with autism in England.
tabling member constituency	Hendon
tabling member printed	Dr Matthew Offord
uin	184617
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/05/2023 answer text <p>NHS England is committed to improving health and care services so that more people with a learning disability and autistic people can live in the community, with the right support, and close to home.</p><p>There are 75 mental health units for children and young people and all these units can provide care and treatment for autistic young people. Reasonable adjustments should be considered for all autistic people who are admitted to inpatient mental health services. NHS England has also published the sensory friendly resource pack that gives guidance about healthcare environments being suitable for autistic people which is available at the following link:</p><p><a href="https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/sensory-friendly-resource-pack/" target="_blank">https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/sensory-friendly-resource-pack/</a></p><p>As of 12 May 2023, the number of beds available exceeded the number of children and young people awaiting an assessment or admission to a specialist mental health inpatient unit. However, before admitting a child or young person a number of factors including what treatment may be required, complexity within the unit, patient mix, distance from home/family, Care Quality Commission rating and staffing capacity amongst others must be considered to ensure the admission is in the best interests of the young person and their family.</p><p>In January, NHS England published the co-produced Dynamic support register and Care (Education) and Treatment Review policy which focuses on local systems being able to identify people with increasing health and care needs who may require extra support, care and treatment in the community as a safe and effective alternative to admission to a mental health hospital, and ensuring that Care, Education and Treatment Reviews continue to be effective in ensuring people are receiving appropriate care and treatment.</p> answering member constituency Lewes answering member printed Maria Caulfield grouped question UIN 184618 184619 question first answered 19/05/2023 13:55:10 answering member 4492 label Biography information for Maria Caulfield
tabling member	4006 label Biography information for Dr Matthew Offord

1626965

registered interest
date	11/05/2023
answering body	Department of Health and Social Care
answering dept id	17
answering dept short name	Health and Social Care
answering dept sort name	Health and Social Care
hansard heading	Autism: Children
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many and what proportion of mental health facilities are suitable for children with autism.
tabling member constituency	Hendon
tabling member printed	Dr Matthew Offord
uin	184618
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/05/2023 answer text <p>NHS England is committed to improving health and care services so that more people with a learning disability and autistic people can live in the community, with the right support, and close to home.</p><p>There are 75 mental health units for children and young people and all these units can provide care and treatment for autistic young people. Reasonable adjustments should be considered for all autistic people who are admitted to inpatient mental health services. NHS England has also published the sensory friendly resource pack that gives guidance about healthcare environments being suitable for autistic people which is available at the following link:</p><p><a href="https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/sensory-friendly-resource-pack/" target="_blank">https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/sensory-friendly-resource-pack/</a></p><p>As of 12 May 2023, the number of beds available exceeded the number of children and young people awaiting an assessment or admission to a specialist mental health inpatient unit. However, before admitting a child or young person a number of factors including what treatment may be required, complexity within the unit, patient mix, distance from home/family, Care Quality Commission rating and staffing capacity amongst others must be considered to ensure the admission is in the best interests of the young person and their family.</p><p>In January, NHS England published the co-produced Dynamic support register and Care (Education) and Treatment Review policy which focuses on local systems being able to identify people with increasing health and care needs who may require extra support, care and treatment in the community as a safe and effective alternative to admission to a mental health hospital, and ensuring that Care, Education and Treatment Reviews continue to be effective in ensuring people are receiving appropriate care and treatment.</p> answering member constituency Lewes answering member printed Maria Caulfield grouped question UIN 184617 184619 question first answered 19/05/2023 13:55:10 answering member 4492 label Biography information for Maria Caulfield
tabling member	4006 label Biography information for Dr Matthew Offord

1626966

registered interest
date	11/05/2023
answering body	Department of Health and Social Care
answering dept id	17
answering dept short name	Health and Social Care
answering dept sort name	Health and Social Care
hansard heading	Autism: Children
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many beds were available in designated mental health facilities for children suffering from autism in England as of 11 May 2023.
tabling member constituency	Hendon
tabling member printed	Dr Matthew Offord
uin	184619
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/05/2023 answer text <p>NHS England is committed to improving health and care services so that more people with a learning disability and autistic people can live in the community, with the right support, and close to home.</p><p>There are 75 mental health units for children and young people and all these units can provide care and treatment for autistic young people. Reasonable adjustments should be considered for all autistic people who are admitted to inpatient mental health services. NHS England has also published the sensory friendly resource pack that gives guidance about healthcare environments being suitable for autistic people which is available at the following link:</p><p><a href="https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/sensory-friendly-resource-pack/" target="_blank">https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/sensory-friendly-resource-pack/</a></p><p>As of 12 May 2023, the number of beds available exceeded the number of children and young people awaiting an assessment or admission to a specialist mental health inpatient unit. However, before admitting a child or young person a number of factors including what treatment may be required, complexity within the unit, patient mix, distance from home/family, Care Quality Commission rating and staffing capacity amongst others must be considered to ensure the admission is in the best interests of the young person and their family.</p><p>In January, NHS England published the co-produced Dynamic support register and Care (Education) and Treatment Review policy which focuses on local systems being able to identify people with increasing health and care needs who may require extra support, care and treatment in the community as a safe and effective alternative to admission to a mental health hospital, and ensuring that Care, Education and Treatment Reviews continue to be effective in ensuring people are receiving appropriate care and treatment.</p> answering member constituency Lewes answering member printed Maria Caulfield grouped question UIN 184617 184618 question first answered 19/05/2023 13:55:10 answering member 4492 label Biography information for Maria Caulfield
tabling member	4006 label Biography information for Dr Matthew Offord

1599971

registered interest
date	28/02/2023
answering body	Department of Health and Social Care
answering dept id	17
answering dept short name	Health and Social Care
answering dept sort name	Health and Social Care
hansard heading	Autism: Children
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to help ensure that adequate mental health care is available for children with autism and those awaiting autism diagnoses.
tabling member constituency	Enfield, Southgate
tabling member printed	Bambos Charalambous
uin	155194
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/03/2023 answer text <p>The transformation of Children and Young People’s Mental Health services is a priority for the National Health Service. We are increasing access to support for those that need it, including autistic children and children with a learning disability with mental health needs. The NHS Long Term Plan, includes a commitment that an additional 345,000 children and young people aged 0 to 25 years old will have access to NHS-funded mental health support, including in new Mental Health Support Teams in schools and colleges, by 2024.</p><p>For people and families who are waiting to have an autism assessment, we know that this is a challenge. NHS England is currently developing 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 this work is to improve access to and the quality of these assessment processes and to reduce the time that people wait for an assessment. The framework will be published in due course.</p> answering member constituency Lewes answering member printed Maria Caulfield question first answered 07/03/2023 10:25:32 answering member 4492 label Biography information for Maria Caulfield
tabling member	4610 label Biography information for Bambos Charalambous