Angela Rayner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Angela Rayner on 2016-01-04.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps (a) his Department and (b) NHS England is taking to ensure that mental health diagnostic and other services are (i) accessible and (ii) meet the needs of (A) children and (B) adults on the autism spectrum.

Alistair Burt

We know that people with autism can experience common mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety, as well as other mental illnesses. Over £400 million has been invested in Improving Access to Psychological Therapies to ensure access to talking therapies for those who need them, including those with autism.

An additional investment of £1.4 billion has been allocated to children and young people’s mental health services over the course of this Parliament. The Department is working closely with NHS England to invest in clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) to deliver Local Transformation Plans, which must address the full spectrum of need including children with autism and learning disabilities. Roll-out of the Children and Young People’s Improving Access to Psychological Therapies programmes by 2018 will extend access to training for staff working with children with autism.

With support from the Department, NHS England and the Association of Directors of Social Services will undertake a series of visits to (CCGs) where there is good practice in meeting the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence Quality Standard 51 Autism, and to those that do not, with the aim of identifying best practice on diagnosis and support.