I am writing to you under the Freedom of Information Act (2000) to request information relating to the provision of ASD (Autism spectrum disorder) services by Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust.
Please provide the following information to the email address specified below.
1. Please name the organisation(s) that deliver(s) CYP (children and young people) ASD assessment / diagnoses in your Trust area
a. When did the contract(s) begin and when is the contract(s) due to end
b. What is the annual spend for this service for 2022, and for the last 5 years?
c. How is the service contracted – is it Block, Activity-based, or AQP contracting?
d. If the service is commissioned with other CCGs, ICSs or Trusts, which are these?
e. At what prevalence (% of the child population) have the contracts been commissioned against?
2. Does the same organisation as for Question 1 also deliver CYP ASD prescriptions and post-diagnosis ASD support in your Trust area? If not, please provide the same information for this organisation.
3. Please outline the CYP ASD pathway in your area, including key referral sources
4. How many children and young people are currently waiting for a CYP ASD assessment in your area? What is the longest and median wait time from a referral?
a. Within the last year, how many children and young people were assessed within 12 weeks of referral?
b. Within the last year, how many children and young people were discharged without assessment?
c. Please answer Questions 4, 4a, 4b for as many historic years as possible, up to 5 years
5. For the last 5 years, please give the number of CYP patients per year in the Trust who were:
a. Referred for ASD assessment
b. Given an ASD assessment
c. Given an ASD assessment from a ‘Right to Choose’ provider, outside the service contracted
d. Diagnosed with ASD
6. For the last 5 years, what was the average number of ASD-qualified staff delivering services in the area? How does this split by role:
a. Qualified psychiatrists
b. Paediatricians
c. Speech and Language therapists
d. Clinical Psychologists
e. For a-d, please also give numbers of trainees
7. Please provide equivalent answers for Questions 1-6, but for Adult ASD services in the Trust. If the Trust does not distinguish between CYP and Adult ASD services, please answer Questions 1-6 for all patients collectively