Meeting of the Parliament 19 March 2026 [Draft]
I am aware of NHS Tayside’s decision to pause new neurodevelopmental referrals where a child does not have a coexisting mental health condition, but that does not mean that support is unavailable. For example, local authorities have a statutory duty to identify and make provision for children and young people with additional support needs, regardless of a diagnosis. I also recognise that demand for neurodevelopmental support and assessment has increased significantly. We are working with health boards and local authorities to implement our neurodevelopmental specification, which sets clear expectations for boards and children’s services to work together to deliver timely needs-based support, in line with the getting it right for every child approach.