{ "format" : "linked-data-api", "version" : "0.2", "result" : {"_about" : "https://eldaddp.azurewebsites.net/answeredquestions.text?AnsweringBody.=Department+of+Health+and+Social+Care&answer.isMinisterialCorrection=false&hansardHeading=Autism%3A+Diagnosis", "definition" : "https://eldaddp.azurewebsites.net/meta/answeredquestions.text?AnsweringBody.=Department+of+Health+and+Social+Care&answer.isMinisterialCorrection=false&hansardHeading=Autism%3A+Diagnosis", "extendedMetadataVersion" : "https://eldaddp.azurewebsites.net/answeredquestions.text?AnsweringBody.=Department+of+Health+and+Social+Care&answer.isMinisterialCorrection=false&_metadata=all&hansardHeading=Autism%3A+Diagnosis", "first" : "https://eldaddp.azurewebsites.net/answeredquestions.text?_page=0&AnsweringBody.=Department+of+Health+and+Social+Care&answer.isMinisterialCorrection=false&hansardHeading=Autism%3A+Diagnosis", "hasPart" : "https://eldaddp.azurewebsites.net/answeredquestions.text?AnsweringBody.=Department+of+Health+and+Social+Care&answer.isMinisterialCorrection=false&hansardHeading=Autism%3A+Diagnosis", "isPartOf" : "https://eldaddp.azurewebsites.net/answeredquestions.text?AnsweringBody.=Department+of+Health+and+Social+Care&answer.isMinisterialCorrection=false&hansardHeading=Autism%3A+Diagnosis", "items" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1713893", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department of Health and Social Care"}
      ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1713893/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "<p>Information on the total spend on autism assessments is not held centrally. NHS England is responsible for funding allocations to integrated care boards (ICBs), which are responsible for commissioning services using these core allocations to meet the needs of their local populations, including autism assessment services. The following table shows the total baseline expenditure in ICBs for learning disability and autism services over the last five years, disaggregated for autism services where possible:<\/p><table><tbody><tr><td><p> <\/p><\/td><td><p>Learning disability<\/p><\/td><td><p>Autism services<\/p><\/td><td><p>Unseparated learning disability and autism services<\/p><\/td><td><p>Total<\/p><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><p>2019/20<\/p><\/td><td><p>N/A<\/p><\/td><td><p>N/A<\/p><\/td><td><p>£1,809,200,000<\/p><\/td><td><p>£1,809,200,000<\/p><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><p>2020/21<\/p><\/td><td><p>N/A<\/p><\/td><td><p>N/A<\/p><\/td><td><p>£2,285,600,000<\/p><\/td><td><p>£2,285,600,000<\/p><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><p>2021/22<\/p><\/td><td><p>£85,800,000<\/p><\/td><td><p>£3,700,000<\/p><\/td><td><p>£2,268,300,000<\/p><\/td><td><p>£2,357,900,000<\/p><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><p>2022/23<\/p><\/td><td><p>£625,800,000<\/p><\/td><td><p>£27,100,000<\/p><\/td><td><p>£1,928,800,000<\/p><\/td><td><p>£2,581,700,000<\/p><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><p>2023/24<\/p><\/td><td><p>£926,000,000<\/p><\/td><td><p>£47,100,000<\/p><\/td><td><p>£1,928,800,000<\/p><\/td><td><p>£2,904,600,000<\/p><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><p> <\/p><p>In addition, specific funding has been allocated to ICBs in 2023/4 and 2024/25 from the Service Development Funding, to improve autism assessment waiting lists and pathways. The following table shows information on the additional national funding allocated to ICBs by NHS England, over each of the last five years, to improve autism assessment waiting lists and pathways:<\/p><table><tbody><tr><td><p> <\/p><\/td><td><p>Service Development Funding via the NHS Long Term Plan Transformation Funding<\/p><\/td><td><p>Spending Review 2021 via the COVID-19 Recovery Fund<\/p><\/td><td><p>Total funding for autism assessment pathways<\/p><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><p>2019/20<\/p><\/td><td><p>N/A<\/p><\/td><td><p>N/A<\/p><\/td><td><p>N/A<\/p><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><p>2020/21<\/p><\/td><td><p>N/A<\/p><\/td><td><p>N/A<\/p><\/td><td><p>N/A<\/p><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><p>2021/22<\/p><\/td><td><p>£2,500,000<\/p><\/td><td><p>£14,500,000<\/p><\/td><td><p>£17,000,000<\/p><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><p>2022/23<\/p><\/td><td><p>£5,000,000<\/p><\/td><td><p>N/A<\/p><\/td><td><p>£5,000,000<\/p><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><p>2023/24<\/p><\/td><td><p>£4,200,000<\/p><\/td><td><p>N/A<\/p><\/td><td><p>£4,200,000<\/p><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><p>2024/25<\/p><\/td><td><p>£4,300,000<\/p><\/td><td><p>N/A<\/p><\/td><td><p>£4,300,000<\/p><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><p>Notes:<\/p><ol><li>the in-year pay uplift for 2023/24 is not reflected in the table;<\/li><li>the service development funding allocations shown in the table are in addition to the ICBs core funding allocations.<\/li><\/ol><p>The NHS Operational and Planning Guidance 2024/25 asks local systems to improve autism assessment pathways, through implementation of the NHS England autism assessment national framework. Allocations from 2025/26 onwards are subject to future decisions on spending. Further information on the operational and planning guidance and national framework is available respectively at the following links:<\/p><p><a href=\"https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/2024-25-priorities-and-operational-planning-guidance-v1.1.pdf\" target=\"_blank\">https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/2024-25-priorities-and-operational-planning-guidance-v1.1.pdf<\/a><\/p><p><a href=\"https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/autism-diagnosis-and-operational-guidance/\" target=\"_blank\">https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/autism-diagnosis-and-operational-guidance/<\/a><\/p><p>A specific assessment of the adequacy of funding in meeting the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence\u2019s waiting time standard for autism assessments has not been made. However, autism waiting times statistics are published on a quarterly basis. The total number of people with an open referral, where the diagnosis not yet completed, for suspected autism has increased by 47%, from 117,032 in December 2022 to 172,022 in December 2023. In December 2023, it was estimated that only 5.9% of patients whose referrals have been open in the system for at least 13 weeks received their first contact appointment within 13 weeks.<\/p>"}
        , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4492", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Maria Caulfield"}
        }
        , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Lewes"}
        , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Maria Caulfield"}
        , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2024-05-01", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
        , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
        , "previousAnswerVersion" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1713893/answer/previousversion/31577", "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4492", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Maria Caulfield"}
          }
          , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Lewes"}
          , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Maria Caulfield"}
        }
        , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2024-05-01T13:09:11.49Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
        ]}
      , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "17"}
      , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Health and Social Care"}
      , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Health and Social Care"}
      , "date" : {"_value" : "2024-04-25", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
      , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Autism: Diagnosis"}
      , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
      , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
      }
      ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much her Department spent on autism assessments in each of the last five years; how much funding her Department has allocated to autism assessments in each of the next three years; and what recent assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of that funding in meeting the target waiting time for such an assessment.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
      , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4048", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Caroline Nokes"}
      }
      , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Romsey and Southampton North"}
      , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Caroline Nokes"}
      ], "uin" : "23733"}
    , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1696420", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department of Health and Social Care"}
      ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1696420/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "<p>There are no current plans to make this specific assessment. We recognise the importance of early identification of autism so that an individual\u2019s needs can be identified sooner, and support put in place earlier in life.<\/p><p>The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence\u2019s (NICE) guidelines on autism highlight the importance of conducting an autism assessment as soon as possible so that appropriate health and social care interventions, and advice and support, can be offered. 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, in line with the NICE\u2019s guidelines.<\/p><p>In April 2023, NHS England published a national framework and operational guidance for autism assessment services. This guidance will help the National Health Service to deliver improved outcomes for children, young people, and adults. The operational guidance makes it clear that people should be able to access support and care from other services for needs that appear linked to physical and mental health, including while they are waiting for an autism assessment. This year, the Department is updating the Statutory Guidance on Autism to support the NHS and local authorities in delivering improved outcomes for autistic people.<\/p>"}
        , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4492", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Maria Caulfield"}
        }
        , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Lewes"}
        , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Maria Caulfield"}
        , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2024-03-22", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
        , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
        , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2024-03-22T15:31:50.28Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
        ]}
      , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "17"}
      , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Health and Social Care"}
      , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Health and Social Care"}
      , "date" : {"_value" : "2024-03-15", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
      , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Autism: Diagnosis"}
      , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
      , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
      }
      ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of average waiting times for autism assessments on other health and care services.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
      , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4769", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Daisy Cooper"}
      }
      , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "St Albans"}
      , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Daisy Cooper"}
      ], "uin" : "18945"}
    , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1675402", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department of Health and Social Care"}
      ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1675402/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "<p>Data on the average waiting times between referral for an autism assessment and diagnosis is not held centrally. Some data is held on average length of time between referral and first care contact. NHS England analysis indicates that, as of June 2023, for people aged 18 years old and over, there were 3,730 referrals for suspected autism where the date of first care contact falls within the period April to June 2023, which is the latest quarter available. The median waiting time for these referrals was 225 days.<\/p><p>The autism assessment waiting times data published on 14 September 2023 showed that the number of patients aged 18 years old and over with an open referral for suspected autism was 59,099 in June 2023. The data also showed that, in June 2023, 2,906 patients, or 5.8%, aged 18 years old and over 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. The subsequent waiting times publication is 14 December 2023.<\/p>"}
        , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4492", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Maria Caulfield"}
        }
        , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Lewes"}
        , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Maria Caulfield"}
        , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2023-12-13", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
        , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
        , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2023-12-13T13:18:11.03Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
        ]}
      , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "17"}
      , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Health and Social Care"}
      , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Health and Social Care"}
      , "date" : {"_value" : "2023-12-05", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
      , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Autism: Diagnosis"}
      , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
      , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
      }
      ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the average waiting time is for an adult autism diagnosis.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
      , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4747", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Tahir Ali"}
      }
      , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Birmingham, Hall Green"}
      , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Tahir Ali"}
      ], "uin" : "5286"}
    , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1674068", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department of Health and Social Care"}
      ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1674068/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "<p>We expect integrated care boards (ICBs) to have due regard to relevant 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>Each ICB in England, including in the North East and North Cumbria, 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><p>On 5 April 2023, NHS England published a national framework and operational guidance for autism assessment services. This guidance will help the National Health Service improve autism assessment pathways and improve the experience for people referred to an autism assessment service.<\/p><p>In addition, NHS England publish quarterly data on how many people are waiting for an autism assessment and for how long. These are experimental statistics; however, the data does provide useful information nationally and locally to support local areas to improve their performance and to reduce assessment waiting times.<\/p><p>We have invested in improving autism assessment services over recent years. Building on the 2021/22 investment of £13 million, we invested £2.5 million in 2022/23 to support local areas with improvements in autism assessment pathways. 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.<\/p>"}
        , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4492", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Maria Caulfield"}
        }
        , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Lewes"}
        , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Maria Caulfield"}
        , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2023-12-07", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
        , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
        , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2023-12-07T12:59:11.557Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
        ]}
      , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "17"}
      , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Health and Social Care"}
      , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Health and Social Care"}
      , "date" : {"_value" : "2023-11-29", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
      , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Autism: Diagnosis"}
      , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
      , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
      }
      ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to reduce waiting lists for autism assessments (a) nationally and (b) in County Durham.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
      , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4753", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Mary Kelly Foy"}
      }
      , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "City of Durham"}
      , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Mary Kelly Foy"}
      ], "uin" : "4566"}
    , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1674188", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department of Health and Social Care"}
      ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1674188/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "<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 Need 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 2 March 2023<\/p><p><br> In 2023/24, £4.2 million is available to improve services for autistic children and young people, including autism assessment services, pre and post diagnostic support, and the continuation of the Autism in Schools programme<\/p><p><br> On 22 November 2023, we announced the Partnerships for Inclusion of Neurodiversity in Schools programme. This new programme, backed by £13m of investment, is a partnership between the Department of Health and Social Care, the Department for Education and NHS England. It will bring together 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. The programme is expected to reach around 10% of mainstream primary schools. It will be evaluated, and learning will be used to inform future policy development around how schools support neurodiverse children.<\/p>"}
        , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4948", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Markham"}
        }
        , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Lord Markham"}
        , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2023-12-13", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
        , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
        , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2023-12-13T16:53:02.1Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
        ]}
      , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "17"}
      , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Health and Social Care"}
      , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Health and Social Care"}
      , "date" : {"_value" : "2023-11-29", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
      , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Autism: Diagnosis"}
      , "houseId" : {"_value" : "2"}
      , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25277", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Lords"}
      }
      ], "questionText" : "To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to improve early diagnosis and support for individuals with autism, particularly in educational and healthcare settings.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
      , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/3801", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Browne of Belmont"}
      }
      , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Lord Browne of Belmont"}
      ], "uin" : "HL695"}
    , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1672666", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department of Health and Social Care"}
      ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1672666/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "<p>The data requested is not held centrally. However, some relevant information can be drawn from the Mental Health Services Data Set.<\/p><p>Whilst data is not available at a constituency level, it is available at the integrated care system (ICS) level. According to the latest Autism Waiting Time Statistics in June 2023, nationally 6% of adults, whose referrals have been open for at least 13 weeks, received their first contact appointment within 13 weeks. In Humber and North Yorkshire, this was higher at 11%.<\/p><p>Nationally, in June 2023, for children aged between 0 to 17 years old, 7% had their first appointment within 13 weeks compared to 3% in Humber and North Yorkshire. 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.<\/p>"}
        , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4492", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Maria Caulfield"}
        }
        , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Lewes"}
        , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Maria Caulfield"}
        , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2023-11-28", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
        , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
        , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2023-11-28T12:05:28.323Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
        ]}
      , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "17"}
      , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Health and Social Care"}
      , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Health and Social Care"}
      , "date" : {"_value" : "2023-11-23", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
      , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Autism: Diagnosis"}
      , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
      , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
      }
      ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate she has made of the average length time (a) children and (b) adults wait for an autism assessment (i) nationally and (ii) in York.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
      , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4471", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Rachael Maskell"}
      }
      , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "York Central"}
      , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Rachael Maskell"}
      ], "uin" : "3500"}
    , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1672667", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department of Health and Social Care"}
      ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1672667/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "<p>The National Framework for autism assessment services, published by NHS England in April 2023, recognises the need to increase the supply of specialist workforce for autism assessment services.<\/p><p>The NHS Long Term Workforce Plan sets out the steps the National Health Service and its partners need to take to deliver an NHS workforce; this is backed by over £2.4 billion over the next five years to fund additional education and training places. We aim to increase training places by 26% for both clinical psychology and child and adolescent psychotherapy by 2031, taking the combined number of training places to over 1,300. Training places will be more than 1,000 each year up to 2028/29.<\/p><p>In addition to education and training for clinical psychologists and child and adolescent psychotherapists, over the next three years, NHS England has committed funding of over £600 million to grow the wider psychological professions workforce through training approximately 15,000 more individuals to undertake psychological therapist and psychological practitioner roles.<\/p>"}
        , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4492", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Maria Caulfield"}
        }
        , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Lewes"}
        , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Maria Caulfield"}
        , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2023-11-28", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
        , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
        , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2023-11-28T10:09:53.03Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
        ]}
      , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "17"}
      , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Health and Social Care"}
      , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Health and Social Care"}
      , "date" : {"_value" : "2023-11-23", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
      , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Autism: Diagnosis"}
      , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
      , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
      }
      ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the number of staff available to conduct autism assessments for (a) children and (b) adults (i) nationally and (ii) in York.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
      , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4471", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Rachael Maskell"}
      }
      , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "York Central"}
      , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Rachael Maskell"}
      ], "uin" : "3501"}
    , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1672668", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department of Health and Social Care"}
      ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1672668/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "<p>We have not made an assessment of the quality of autism assessments that have not been commissioned by the National Health Service.<\/p><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. We are clear that commissioners should take National Institute for Health and Care Excellence\u2019s (NICE) guidelines fully into account ensuring that NHS services commissioned from the private sector represent an effective use of NHS resources. More information on the NICE guidelines is available at the following links:<\/p><p><a href=\"https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg142\" target=\"_blank\">https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg142<\/a><\/p><p><a href=\"https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg128\" target=\"_blank\">https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg128<\/a><\/p><p>The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is considering the remit of its regulatory duties, and registration, of online autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder diagnostic assessment services as part of CQC\u2019s new regulatory approach to assessment and inspection of CQC-registered health services.<\/p>"}
        , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4492", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Maria Caulfield"}
        }
        , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Lewes"}
        , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Maria Caulfield"}
        , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2023-11-28", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
        , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
        , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2023-11-28T17:36:32.137Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
        ]}
      , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "17"}
      , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Health and Social Care"}
      , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Health and Social Care"}
      , "date" : {"_value" : "2023-11-23", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
      , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Autism: Diagnosis"}
      , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
      , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
      }
      ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she has taken to assess the quality of autism assessments undertaken in the private sector.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
      , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4471", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Rachael Maskell"}
      }
      , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "York Central"}
      , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Rachael Maskell"}
      ], "uin" : "3502"}
    , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1672669", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department of Health and Social Care"}
      ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1672669/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "<p>My Rt. Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, has regular discussions on a wide range of matters with Cabinet colleagues. We recognise that in recent years demand for autism assessments for children and young people has increased. 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 Need 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 2 March 2023.<\/p>"}
        , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4492", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Maria Caulfield"}
        }
        , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Lewes"}
        , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Maria Caulfield"}
        , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2023-11-28", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
        , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
        , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2023-11-28T12:06:19.36Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
        ]}
      , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "17"}
      , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Health and Social Care"}
      , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Health and Social Care"}
      , "date" : {"_value" : "2023-11-23", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
      , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Autism: Diagnosis"}
      , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
      , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
      }
      ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions she has had with Cabinet colleagues on (a) changes in the levels of autism assessments in children and (b) the potential impact of those changes on services supporting education, health and care plans.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
      , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4471", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Rachael Maskell"}
      }
      , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "York Central"}
      , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Rachael Maskell"}
      ], "uin" : "3503"}
    , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1611463", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department of Health and Social Care"}
      ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1611463/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "<p>The data requested is not held centrally. However, some relevant information can be drawn from the Mental Health Service Data Set (MHSDS).<\/p><p> <\/p><p>Data from the MHSDS for the period from 1 August 2021 to 31 July 2022 indicates that, for England, 60,860 patients aged 18 and over at the time of referral had an open referral for suspected autism. Of these 8,309 have received a first attended contact within the year. The median wait time for these 8,309 patients was 127 days.<\/p><p> <\/p><p>For Greater Manchester, 2,270 patients had an open referral for suspected autism. Of these, 170 have received a first attended contact within the year. The median wait time for these 170 patients was 129 days.<\/p><p> <\/p><p>For Stockport, 65 patients had an open referral for suspected autism. Of these, 10 have received a first attended contact within the year. The median wait time for these 10 patients was 994 days.<\/p>"}
        , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4492", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Maria Caulfield"}
        }
        , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Lewes"}
        , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Maria Caulfield"}
        , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2023-05-09", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
        , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
        , "previousAnswerVersion" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1611463/answer/previousversion/69329", "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4492", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Maria Caulfield"}
          }
          , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Lewes"}
          , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Maria Caulfield"}
        }
        , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2023-05-09T11:23:20.467Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
        ]}
      , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "17"}
      , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Health and Social Care"}
      , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Health and Social Care"}
      , "date" : {"_value" : "2023-04-17", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
      , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Autism: Diagnosis"}
      , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
      , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
      }
      ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the average waiting time is for an autism assessment for adults in (a) Stockport constituency, (b) Stockport Borough, (c) Greater Manchester and (d) England.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
      , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4811", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Navendu Mishra"}
      }
      , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Stockport"}
      , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Navendu Mishra"}
      ], "uin" : "181091"}
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