Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to improve pathways of care for young people with ADHD in Oxfordshire.

The Department is currently considering next steps to improve access to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) assessments and care pathways.

It is the responsibility of integrated care boards (ICBs) to make appropriate provision to meet the health and care needs of their local population, including ADHD care pathways, in line with relevant National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines.

We are supporting a taskforce that NHS England is establishing to look at ADHD service provision and its impact on patient experience. The taskforce will bring together expertise from across a broad range of sectors, including the National Health Service, education and justice, to better understand the challenges affecting people with ADHD and help provide a joined-up approach in response to concerns around rising demand.

The Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and West Berkshire ICB advises that it has implemented a new assessment model within its neurodevelopmental conditions service to enable the team to carry out additional assessments. It has also commissioned a Living Well with Neurodivergence offer for children and young people with diagnosed or suspected ADHD, launched a parent peer support network for families waiting for assessment, and partnered with Oxfordshire Parent Carers Forum to provide a range of workshops for parents.