Autism: Rural Areas
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to increase the availability of autism support services for adults in rural areas.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock
Integrated care systems (ICSs) are responsible for the planning and delivery of health and care services in their local area, including meeting the needs of autistic people in rural communities. Local priorities are set out in the Integrated Care Strategy, which must be informed by local assessments of need. The Department published updated statutory guidance on integrated care strategies in February 2024.
On 5 April 2023, NHS England published a national framework and operational guidance to improve outcomes in all-age autism assessment pathways. This guidance will help integrated care boards, including those in rural areas, and the National Health Service to improve outcomes for children, young people, and adults referred to an autism assessment service. The guidance sets out what support should be available before an assessment, and what support should follow a recent diagnosis of autism, based on the available evidence.
The importance of supporting rural communities has been recognised by the Chief Medical Officer in his reports, which also recognise the role played by ICSs in understanding local needs and arranging services to meet these needs.
Verbatim has judged this answer against the question that was actually asked — answered, partly answered, or evaded. Sign in to see the verdict →