The Scottish ADHD Coalition welcomes the recent publication of the investigation report by the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee into ADHD and autism pathways and we note in particular the call for the Scottish Government to take “urgent action” to address the critical areas of concern that are highlighted within the report.
We would like to reiterate that it is our position as well as that of the majority of the organisations consulted as part of this exercise, that systemic change is now required and specifically the breaking-down of professional, cultural and organisational barriers for an improvement in services for those affected by ADHD and other neurodevelopmental conditions.
We ask again that the NHS examines thoroughly the way that it relates to parent groups, third sector organisations and even its own clinical employees in determining how services are provided, and that the Scottish Government makes every effort to ensure that future developments are co-produced with those who have the holistic expertise to ensure that change is meaningful, sustainable, and future-proof.
We were particularly pleased to see the committee engage with the Coalition and our partner organisations in a respectful and collaborative manner and note the absence of party divisions in an area of concern that should be above political ideology when the need for change is so pressing.
Some particular highlights from the report include:
3. The Committee welcomes the Scottish Government’s commitment to accept the recommendations set out in NAIT’s Adult Neurodevelopmental Pathways report, including the development and implementation of guidance for adult pathways in all HSCPs across Scotland. The Committee further welcomes the Scottish Government’s commitment to take action to address the findings of its review of the implementation of the National Neurodevelopmental Specification for Children and Young People through its new Taskforce.
4. At the same time, the Committee calls on the Scottish Government to take urgent action to develop and implement a national plan to give adults and children with autism and ADHD across all health boards in Scotland access to clear and consistent pathways to support. This should include continuing to work with NAIT and health boards to implement the recommendations from the pathfinder pilots and delivering an updated Specification for children’s pathways.
This is possibly the most important highlight:
7. The Committee is further concerned that an over-reliance on threshold setting and gatekeeping risks resulting in many individuals being unable to access the support they need at the appropriate time, leading to a situation where these individuals will then present themselves at a later stage having reached a state of crisis, which can be considerably more difficult and costly to treat. The Committee concludes that, although perhaps understandable when trying to deal with consistently high demand, such an approach to managing access to pathways risks being counterproductive in the longer term.
Lastly we note:
21. a presumption against the use of single condition assessments, given the high rate of co-occurrence of ADHD and autism (as well as other neurodevelopmental conditions and other mental and physical health problems) and the active promotion instead of the use of holistic Assessments;
We now await an official response, however the report notes that an existing Bill has already been paused:
The Committee has heard evidence from many contributors to the inquiry who have expressed regret that the Scottish Government has paused plans for a Learning Disabilities, Autism and Neurodivergence Bill, which it was felt would Health, Social Care and Sport Committee contribute positively towards promoting a whole systems or whole society approach to supporting people with neurodevelopmental conditions. The Committee notes the Minister’s commitment, in the absence of further progress on a Bill, to publish draft provisions. It calls on the Scottish Government, in responding to this report, to set out a timetable for publication and to provide further details of what these might cover.
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The Scottish ADHD Coalition brings together voluntary organisations providing support to adults and children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), and their parents, carers and families. You can sign up to our mailing list here, read our FAQs, or find your nearest support group.