Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking ensure that NHS Trusts have adequate numbers of clinicians trained in the diagnosis of autism.

Health Education England (HEE) is responsible for the planning and funding of post-registration medical education. HEE works directly with a number of partners, including National Health Service trusts, to assess demand and supply for clinical staff, and commissions programmes of education accordingly. The training curricula for postgraduate trainee doctors is set by the relevant medical Royal College, and continuing professional and personal development for registered professionals employed in the NHS is a matter for employers and those individuals.

The Department has put in place a revised accountability and governance model for implementing the Autism Strategy in line with the Autism Act (2009). It has established a Workforce Development Task and Finish Group as part of this work, co-chaired by Health Education England and Skills for Care, which may consider the provision of training in autism diagnosis for clinicians in the NHS. The 2010 and 2015 statutory guidance for local authorities and the NHS to support implementation of the Autism Strategy makes it clear that autism training should be available to all staff working in health and social care.