Adult Autism Assessment Service - Diagnostic Outsourcing

The Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023, Paragraph 10 - The<br/>Most Suitable Provider Process is being used to commission this service. This notice will be live for fourteen (14) days from the date of publication.<br/><br/>This is a notice to inform the market of the intention to commission a contract for Adult Autism Assessment Diagnostic Service in the boroughs of Barking & Dagenham, Havering, Redbridge, and Waltham Forest. <br/><br/>The Adult Autism Service (AAS) is predominantly a specialist diagnostic only service run by North East London Foundation (NELFT) and set within NELFT mental health services to carry out specialist, diagnostic assessment for adults, aged 18 years and over, with possible autism. <br/><br/>Autism is a lifelong neurodevelopmental condition. By the time adults reach the AAS they have often been struggling for many years to understand why they respond differently to many people, environments and situation around them, e.g. in forming relationships, understanding aspects of language and behaviour, reactions to sensory stimuli. <br/><br/>The national strategy for autistic children, young people and adults 2021-2026 sets out the government’s vision for tackling long diagnosis waiting times for adults waiting for an autism assessment. The strategy outlines plans, in line with the NHS Long Term Plan and the Mental Health and Wellbeing Recovery Action plan, to invest in local systems testing different diagnostic pathways and post-diagnostic pathways which aim to helps tackle the health and care inequalities autistic people face. <br/><br/>North East London ICB have also developed delivery plan which outlines the commitments of the Learning Disability and Autism Programme in line with the NHS Long Term Plan. The delivery plan outlines objectives that have been set which include providing a specialist support service for adults with autism, reducing waiting times for specialist services and ensuring there is a robust post-diagnosis support package in place.