When does the Welsh Government plan to introduce a waiting time standard for adults waiting for a neurodevelopmental assessment, including for those waiting for an assessment of autism?
In my written statement on the 19 September, I renewed my commitment of £3m recurrent funding for the Integrated Autism Service, which has been piloted from 2016 and is now available in all areas. A data monitoring system is in place and is being tested across all regions, this includes collecting waiting time information.
Last year I commissioned the Scoping Study for Alignment and Development of Autism and Neurodevelopmental Services, which reported that services were experiencing increasing demand without the capacity to respond. We are responding to the recommendations made in this report by undertaking a demand and capacity review of children’s neurodevelopmental (ND) services, the Integrated Autism Service (IAS) and wider autism support. The first phase is underway and once complete will provide an accurate picture of how services are currently operating.
Phase two will take a more detailed look at planning future models of sustainable neurodevelopmental services which will include delivering timely adult assessment. We will consider appropriate monitoring arrangements as service improvements are developed as part of this review.
We are also consulting on the Code of Practice for the delivery of Autism services from 6 April. Section 4 of the Code refers to monitoring of service provision and we will consult with stakeholders including autistic people on waiting time targets and structures for measuring outcomes for autistic people.