BackADHD and autism services are failing too many people because of the way they are designed, commissioned, and delivered, England’s Health Ombudsman has said, as complaints about care continue to rise.
To address these growing issues, Paula Sussex CBE, the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman is calling on the Government to publish clear national guidance to improve access to care and clarify patients’ right to choose a provider.
The Ombudsman is also calling for more support for Integrated Care Boards (ICB) to make consistent decisions about ADHD and autism services that meet the needs of their local communities.
The Ombudsman also recommends that NHS-funded providers delivering ADHD and/or autism assessments, but not ongoing care, should be registered with the Care Quality Commission. Currently, these providers are neither inspected nor monitored, creating a regulatory gap that must be urgently addressed to make sure patients receive consistent, safe, high-quality care.
In its new report, Improving ADHD and autism services: commissioning with confidence, the Ombudsman shared its findings based on 3,000 complaints. It found recurring issues including uncertainty about patients’ right to choose a provider, inconsistent recognition of diagnoses across NHS and independent providers, and lengthy waits for assessment and treatment.
In one investigation, Rich, who has asked to only be referred to by his first name, was wrongly refused access to ADHD care with his chosen provider, despite this being a legal right. He was instead referred to a local service that had not yet opened.
The Ombudsman has seen an almost 206% rise in complaints about ADHD and autism over the past five years, from 410 to 1,257.
Ombudsman Paula Sussex CBE said:
"ADHD and autism services are under significant pressure, with demand outstripping capacity. While commissioning cannot solve these supply constraints, the way services are designed, commissioned and delivered can compound the pressure people experience and make it harder to make the best use of available resources.
"When these decisions work well, people can access high-quality care wherever they live. Right now, the system is too complex and inconsistent, leaving too many patients falling through the gaps."
The report shares several stories of the impact these failings have on people.
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Source: The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman, UK
