Question reference: S5W-33107
- Asked by: Edward Mountain, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
- Date lodged: 9 November 2020
-
Current status: Answered by Clare Haughey on 18 November 2020
Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to reduce the length of time for children waiting to have a neurological assessment under the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule, including those waiting to be added to, as well as those already on, the waiting list.
Answer
Scottish Government funds the National Autism Implementation Team, which was established in partnership with Queen Margaret University and continues to support NHS Boards and Health and Social Care Partnerships to consider best practice and improve service through the redesigning of autism and wider neurodevelopmental diagnostic services.
NAIT supported development of the first national CAMHS Service Specification (published Feb 2020: https://www.gov.scot/publications/child-adolescent-mental-health-services
-camhs-nhs-scotland-national-service-specification/ ). The specification includes action to reduce both: the waiting time for a first assessment appointment and the waiting time for any subsequent treatment; and outlines the level of provision that children, young people and families can expect to receive when referred for help within the NHS.
NHS Boards will be expected to set out plans on how they will implement the CAMHS service specification to ensure consistent high standards are achieved across all NHS boards.
Scottish Government is developing a neurodevelopmental service specification for children and young people who require support for their neurodevelopmental profiles and needs, but who do not meet the mental health criteria for CAMHS. The neurodevelopmental service specification will complement the CAMHS service specification to set the standards of service that children and young people with neurodevelopmental profiles and support needs can expect to receive. This will address the need of those children and young people who require support for their neurodevelopmental profiles and needs, but who do not meet the mental health criteria for CAMHS.