Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on Activity Plan

The NHS in West Yorkshire has increased the amount it spends on assessment and medication for neurodiversity in the last two years. In 2023-24, we spent £7m and we expect to spend three times more than this by the end of 2025-26. 

It is not possible to sustain this growth. As a result, we have written to all our non-contracted providers who provide assessment services to West Yorkshire residents and asked them not to deliver more appointments/treatment than they did in 2024-25. This means that you may have to wait longer for your Autism or ADHD appointment than originally expected. We apologise for any worry or concern this may bring.

An activity plan is part of the NHS Standard Contract between an ICB and providers of NHS funded healthcare services. It is used to agree the amount of activity that the ICB wishes to commission for the financial year April to March. It supports the ICB in forecasting their expenditure and managing their budgets.

Under the NHS Standard Contract, IAPs must now be agreed for any services paid for on an activity basis within three months of the service commencement date or from 30 June 2025 for existing contracts. Neurodiversity assessment and treatment services are contracted and funded on an activity basis.  

If activity exceeds the agreed plan, the ICB will be able to take steps to set an activity management plan with a provider. This may include financial consequences if providers of services do not adhere to the plan.

Activity management plans are used in the NHS, up and down the country. They are put in place to help manage demand within the budgets available.

No, an activity plan does not restrict patient choice. Patients can still choose to be referred, and the provider must accept that referral under the terms of their contract. However, if the provider has reached the threshold of their activity plan and do not have any further capacity commissioned by the NHS in West Yorkshire, the wait for an assessment will increase.

We are sorry that you may have to wait longer than you expected for your assessment. A number of helpful resources focused on neurodiversity are available on the NHS West Yorkshire Integrated Care Board website. This includes a number of Frequently Asked Questions, a section on Right to Choose and some helpful guidance on things people can do whilst they wait for assessment and/or treatment. We have asked our providers to ensure people on their waiting list are pointed to these resources.

Yes, you can select another provider. Please note though that other providers will also have a limit on their capacity and the plans for all the activity funded by West Yorkshire and other ICBs across the country are being managed in the same way, so another provider may not necessarily have waits that are any shorter.

Please speak with the provider of the service who you are waiting for assessment as they will be able to advise what the waits for medication are following assessment. An Equality Impact Assessment has been completed to help inform this work and can be found here. Legal and clinical risks have been considered and addressed.