The NHS Medium Term Planning Framework, published on 24 October 2025, requires integrated care boards and providers to optimise existing resources to reduce long waits for autism and ADHD assessments and improve the quality of assessments by implementing the relevant guidance in each area.

Effective early identification and support are critical to improving outcomes for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), including those who may have neurodivergent differences such as dyslexia or ADHD.

The SEND Code of Practice is clear that identifying and meeting a child's SEND does not require a diagnostic label. Education settings should identify and respond to needs at the earliest opportunity through a graduated approach, with support determined by a child or young person's needs.

The department is strengthening the education system's ability to identify and meet needs earlier and more consistently through the development of National Inclusion Standards. These will support education settings to provide appropriate support based on need, helping to ensure that children and young people can access support without having to wait for a diagnosis, regardless of where they live.

Furthermore, the department is strengthening its needs-led approach through the new Experts at Hand offer. Backed by £1.8 billion over the next three years, it will give mainstream education settings direct access to specialist expertise without the need for a referral, helping to ensure that all children and young people can access timely support when they need it, based on their identified needs.

The ADHD Taskforce’s evidence and recommendations are informing the Independent Review into the Prevalence and Support for Mental Health Conditions, ADHD and Autism, which will build on these. The final report is due to be published shortly.

The Department is working with NHS England to consider the independent ADHD Taskforce’s final report and deliver some of its recommendations, such as improving data, enhancing mental health support teams in schools, and improving commissioning.

To improve data, NHS England is implementing a national attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) data improvement plan. As part of this, NHS England first published management information on ADHD waits nationally in May 2025 and first published sub-national information in May 2026. Additionally, technical guidance has been released to integrated care boards to enhance the recording of ADHD data, aiming to improve the quality of ADHD waits data and enable more localised reporting.

The Department provides a range of employment support for autistic and ADHD people, including those who require ongoing practical support to obtain and sustain employment.

Our specialist, voluntary, Supported Employment programme, Connect to Work, is for anyone who is disabled, has a health condition or is experiencing non-health related barriers to work. Connect to Work has a specialist pathway for neurodivergent and learning-disabled participants, using the well-evidenced Supported Employment Quality Framework (SEQF). The programme is locally led and will support around 300,000 people by the end of the decade.

In Jobcentres around 1,000 (full time equivalent) Pathways to Work Advisers, provide personalised one-to-one support to disabled and neurodivergent customers, and those with health conditions to help customers identify and overcome obstacles which may stop them from moving towards or into work or to access employment and wider skills support, and our employment programmes.

Practical workplace support is also available through Access to Work, a demand-led, personalised discretionary grant delivered across Great Britain. It supports workplace adjustments that go beyond an employer’s responsibilities under the Equality Act 2010. The scheme is available to people with disabilities or health conditions, including neurodivergent conditions, where these affect their ability to work.

Alongside support for individuals, DWP administers the GB-wide Disability Confident scheme, encouraging employers to create disability inclusive workplaces and to support disabled people to get work and get on in work. It provides employers with the knowledge, skills, and confidence they need to attract, recruit, retain and develop disabled people in the workplace.

In 2025, DWP launched an independent advisory panel of academics with expertise and lived experiences of neurodiversity to consider the reasons why neurodivergent people often have poor experiences in the workplace, and a low overall employment rate. DWP has received a final version of the Panel’s report which will be published alongside our response in due course. In addition, between January and March this year, DWP funded the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service to run a limited series of neurodivergence masterclasses for employers to attend free of charge. This was to address employer and line manager skill and confidence in recruiting and supporting neurodivergent individuals at work. Over 1,800 representatives of employers attended these masterclasses.

The Department provides a range of employment support for autistic and ADHD people, including those who require ongoing practical support to obtain and sustain employment.

Our specialist, voluntary, Supported Employment programme, Connect to Work, is for anyone who is disabled, has a health condition or is experiencing non-health related barriers to work. Connect to Work has a specialist pathway for neurodivergent and learning-disabled participants, using the well-evidenced Supported Employment Quality Framework (SEQF). The programme is locally led and will support around 300,000 people by the end of the decade.

In Jobcentres around 1,000 (full time equivalent) Pathways to Work Advisers, provide personalised one-to-one support to disabled and neurodivergent customers, and those with health conditions to help customers identify and overcome obstacles which may stop them from moving towards or into work or to access employment and wider skills support, and our employment programmes.

Practical workplace support is also available through Access to Work, a demand-led, personalised discretionary grant delivered across Great Britain. It supports workplace adjustments that go beyond an employer’s responsibilities under the Equality Act 2010. The scheme is available to people with disabilities or health conditions, including neurodivergent conditions, where these affect their ability to work.

Alongside support for individuals, DWP administers the GB-wide Disability Confident scheme, encouraging employers to create disability inclusive workplaces and to support disabled people to get work and get on in work. It provides employers with the knowledge, skills, and confidence they need to attract, recruit, retain and develop disabled people in the workplace.

In 2025, DWP launched an independent advisory panel of academics with expertise and lived experiences of neurodiversity to consider the reasons why neurodivergent people often have poor experiences in the workplace, and a low overall employment rate. DWP has received a final version of the Panel’s report which will be published alongside our response in due course. In addition, between January and March this year, DWP funded the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service to run a limited series of neurodivergence masterclasses for employers to attend free of charge. This was to address employer and line manager skill and confidence in recruiting and supporting neurodivergent individuals at work. Over 1,800 representatives of employers attended these masterclasses.

The General Medical Council has published guidance which supports integrated care boards and National Health Service organisations in developing and using shared care agreements, and which helps general practitioners decide whether to accept shared care responsibilities.

If a shared care agreement cannot be put in place after treatment has been initiated, the responsibility for continued prescribing falls upon the specialist clinician, and this applies to both NHS and private medical care. There is no requirement at present for further guidance or standards on this point.

The Department has regular discussions on various matters with NHS England and other relevant bodies, but it is the responsibility of integrated care boards to make available appropriate provision to meet the health and care needs of their local population, including on access to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder services.

The General Medical Council has published guidance which supports integrated care boards and National Health Service organisations in developing and using shared care agreements, and which helps general practitioners decide whether to accept shared care responsibilities.

If a shared care agreement cannot be put in place after treatment has been initiated, the responsibility for continued prescribing falls upon the specialist clinician, and this applies to both NHS and private medical care. There is no requirement at present for further guidance or standards on this point.

The Department has regular discussions on various matters with NHS England and other relevant bodies, but it is the responsibility of integrated care boards to make available appropriate provision to meet the health and care needs of their local population, including on access to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder services.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided to the Hon Member for Leicester East on 18 June 2026 in response to Question 5565.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided to the Hon Member for Leicester East on 18 June 2026 in response to Question 5565.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided to the Hon Member for Maidenhead on 16 July 2026 to Question 17231.

NHS England is responsible for determining allocations of financial resources to integrated care boards (ICBs). Funding for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism services are included within NHS England’s financial allocations to ICBs.

It is the responsibility of ICBs in England to make appropriate provision to meet the health and care needs of their local population, including providing access to timely ADHD services and autism assessment services.

Through the NHS Medium Term Planning Framework, published 24 October, NHS England has set clear expectations for local ICBs and trusts to improve access, experience, and outcomes for autism and ADHD services over the next three years, focusing on improving quality and productivity.

The equivalent table for the PIP caseload at April 2026 is provided below.

ADHD / ADD is defined in the same way as the category used in the “PIP cases with entitlement form 2019” release.

Anxiety and Depression is a disaggregation of the Psychiatric Disorders group on the “PIP cases with entitlement from 2019” release; as previously included in the notes of the referenced response to question 47466, the group contains the following primary conditions:

- Anxiety disorders - Other / type not known

- Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

- Stress reaction disorders - Other / type not known

- Generalised anxiety disorder

- Phobia - Specific

- Phobia - Social

- Agoraphobia

- Panic disorder

- Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD)

- Anxiety and depressive disorders - mixed

- Conversion disorder (hysteria)

- Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD)

- Dissociative disorders - Other / type not known

- Somatoform disorders - Other / type not known

- Depressive disorder

- Bipolar affective disorder (Hypomania / Mania)

- Mood disorders - Other / type not known

Table 1: PIP Daily Living claimants by primary condition group

Source: PIP Administrative Data

Notes:

- Figures are based on the PIP caseload at the end of April 2026 (latest available data).

- Data only includes claimants awarded Daily Living component.

- Data only includes claimants living in regions under DWP policy ownership (England, Wales and Abroad).

- Data only includes working age claimants

- Data includes normal rules claimants only and excludes special rules for end of life (SREL) claimants as they typically receive maximum or very high scores.

- Data may show minor differences to published award level information due to missing or poor-quality score data for a small number of claims.

- Health condition category is based on primary health condition as recorded on the PIP Computer System at time of latest assessment. Many claimants have multiple health conditions, but only the primary condition is available centrally for analysis.

- Only the 18 disabling condition groups which make up the highest proportions of the PIP caseload are displayed in this table.

- Other disabling condition groups which cover smaller proportions of the PIP caseload are covered in the "Other Conditions" category. This includes:

• Visual Diseases
• Other General Musculoskeletal Diseases
• Endocrine Diseases
• Hearing Disorders
• Gastrointestinal Diseases
• Genitourinary Diseases
• Skin Diseases
• Autoimmune Diseases (Connective Tissue Disorders)
• Infectious Diseases
• Diseases of the Liver, Gallbladder or Biliary Tract
• Haematological Diseases
• Metabolic Diseases
• Multisystem and Extremes of Age
• Diseases of the Immune System

- Figures may not sum due to rounding.

- Figures are rounded to the nearest 1,000 for volumes and the nearest percentage point for proportions.

The Government is deeply concerned that too many adults, children, and young people with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism are not getting the support they need early enough, consistently enough, or in ways that are well matched to their needs. There is a range of cross-Government work underway that is examining the impacts of neurodevelopmental conditions on health, education, and employment, and how people can be supported earlier and more effectively.

In December 2025, the Government launched an Independent Review into Prevalence and Support for Mental Health Conditions, ADHD and Autism. The final report, due in the summer, will make recommendations on how the Government, the health system, and wider public services can respond to increasing demand for support more fairly and effectively so that people receive the right support, at the right time, in the right place.

We are also committed to transforming outcomes for children, young people, and their families with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) through pivotal reforms. We want these reforms to support the treatment to prevention shift in our 10-Year Health Plan and its focus on early identification of needs, support, and intervention, enabling more children to access support and thrive in inclusive mainstream settings.

Central to this is the new Experts at Hand offer, backed by £1.8 billion over three years, which will bring health and education professionals around mainstream settings. Alongside this, £1.6 billion will be invested over the next three years to make the mainstream system more inclusive, building on the latest evidence and practice. By 2028, up to £15 million will have been invested to build the evidence base for, and then provide, national inclusion standards. These will set out, for the first time, what support should be available in every mainstream setting. We will also refresh areas of need, update guidance on reasonable adjustments, and revise the SEND Code of Practice.

The Timms Review, the first review of the Personal Independence Payment benefit, is examining how it can better support disabled people to live independently and access the right support at the right level. The review is due to report in the autumn. Additionally, the Milburn Review on Young People and Work is examining how health conditions can affect participation in education, employment, and training, and the implications for welfare dependency. It published its interim report on 28 May, with the final report due to be published later this year.

The Government will consider the findings of these reviews to inform future Government decisions.

Data for the number of open referrals that may be for an attention deficit hyperactivity disorder assessment is published nationally and disaggregated by integrated care board (ICB) and covers how long referrals have been open across several time periods, although it does not include an average wait time.

For the figures for the NHS Surrey and Sussex ICB please see the latest ADHD Management Information publication at the following link:

https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/mi-adhd/may-2026

The 2026/27 NHS Payment Scheme was published on 26 March 2026 and came into effect from 1 April 2026. The scheme governs transactions between providers and commissioners of secondary healthcare. The attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism payment guidance has also been updated and sets out national expectations for ADHD and autism services. This guidance is primarily intended for finance, costing, and data teams working in ADHD and autism assessment services, and integrated care boards (ICBs) with commissioning responsibilities for these services. The purpose is to support commissioners and providers to build consistent, transparent, and equitable ADHD and autism diagnostic pathways, with clear data requirements and a shared understanding of what good looks like.

Guide prices for ADHD and autism assessments were published as part of the 2026/27 NHS Payment Scheme. NHS England is engaging on the use of these prices and how they could be developed further, including whether to differentiate between straightforward and complex cases. The current prices already include a separate price for patients receiving a combined assessment for ADHD and autism which is often provided to more complex patients.

NHS England is continuing work on pricing arrangements for autism and ADHD assessment services through the NHS Payment Scheme. This aims to support a more equitable and consistent approach to commissioning and service delivery.

The Government announced on 4 December 2025 the launch of an Independent Review into Prevalence and Support for Mental Health Conditions, ADHD and Autism. The final report, due in the summer, will make recommendations on how the Government, the health system, and wider public services can respond to increasing demand for support more fairly and effectively so that people receive the right support, at the right time, in the right place. The next stage of the review will look at service design and how services might respond more effectively to rising need, including the role of earlier intervention, community-based provision, and more integrated pathways across health, education, and other public services. The review will also look at the question of what role the private sector plays in diagnostic services.

We recognise that, nationally, demand for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) assessments has grown significantly in recent years and that people are experiencing severe delays in accessing such services.

It is the responsibility of integrated care boards (ICBs) in England to make appropriate provision to meet the health and care needs of their local population, including providing access to ADHD assessment services. The Medium-Term Planning Framework, published 24 October 2025, was explicit that ICBs and providers are expected to optimise existing resources to reduce long waits for ADHD assessments and improve the quality of assessments by implementing existing and new guidance, as published.

The Thames Valley ICB and the Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust have undertaken work to improve ADHD services in Slough and East Berkshire. This includes redesigning referral and triage pathways, increasing assessment capacity through additional commissioned providers, introducing digital support and self-management tools, and improving the information and support available to families. A wider transformation programme is also underway across Thames Valley to improve the consistency and quality of assessment pathways, provide support before, during, and after assessment, and strengthen collaboration between health, education, local authorities, and voluntary organisations. The programme aims to reduce waiting times, improve patient experience, and ensure people can access support based on need, rather than diagnosis alone.

The Government announced on 4 December 2025 the launch of an Independent Review into Prevalence and Support for Mental Health Conditions, ADHD and Autism. The final report, due in the summer, will inform our new approach, so people receive the right support, at the right time and in the right place. The review’s interim report, published at the end of March, sets out the evidence reviewed so far on prevalence, describes the impact of rising demand for diagnosis and support, identifies where the evidence is uncertain, and outlines the key questions for the next phase.

The information is not readily available and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Information about PIP claimants’ primary conditions is published on the Stat Xplore website (https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/).

The Government is committed to supporting people to have equitable access to safe, effective, and high-quality autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) assessment services. We recognise that, nationally in England, demand for assessments for autism and ADHD has grown significantly in recent years and that people are experiencing severe delays accessing such assessments.

The Government announced on 4 December 2025 the launch of an Independent Review into Prevalence and Support for Mental Health Conditions, ADHD and Autism. The final report, due in the summer, will make recommendations on how the Government, the health system, and wider public services can respond to increasing demand for support more fairly and effectively so that people receive the right support, at the right time, in the right place. The next stage of the review will look at service design and how services might respond more effectively to rising need, including the role of earlier intervention, community-based provision, and more integrated pathways across health, education, and other public services. The review will also look at the question of what role the private sector plays in diagnostic services.

The Timms Review, the first review of the Personal Independence Payment benefit, is examining how it can better support disabled people to live independently and access the right support at the right level. The review is due to report in the autumn. Additionally, the Milburn Review on Young People and Work is examining how health conditions can affect participation in education, employment, and training, and the implications for welfare dependency. It published its interim report on 28 May, with the final report due to be published later this year. The Government will consider the findings from these reviews, alongside those of the Independent Review into Prevalence and Support for Mental Health Conditions, ADHD and Autism.

It is the responsibility of integrated care boards in England to make available appropriate provision to meet the health and care needs of their local population, including providing access to autism and ADHD services in line with relevant National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines.

NHS England has published guidance to support consistent, high–quality autism assessments and the guidance includes information about the specialist clinical skills required to undertake different aspects of the assessment process. NHS England has also issued advice to local systems on ADHD service delivery.

The measures outlined above are intended to support accurate, timely, and consistent assessments across providers and the current ongoing reviews will help inform future Government decisions.