| Reference | FOI 2025/1523 |
|---|---|
| Description | ADHD Services Decision Makers and Governance |
| Date Requested | 15/12/2025 |
| Date Replied | 15/01/2026 |
| Category | Mental Health & LDA Commissioning |
Under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, I am requesting the following information regarding ADHD service commissioning and governance:
Decision-Making Structure
1. Names and job titles of all individuals involved in commissioning decisions for ADHD assessment and treatment services (both adult and children’s services)
2. Organisational structure chart showing the reporting lines for ADHD service commissioning
3. Names and roles of ICB board members with responsibility for neurodevelopmental services
Key Contacts
Contact details (email addresses) for:
4. Lead Commissioner for ADHD/Neurodevelopmental services
5. Clinical Lead for ADHD services
6. Director responsible for mental health and/or community services
7. Patient engagement lead for neurodevelopmental conditions
Governance and Meetings
8. Schedule of meetings where ADHD service provision is discussed (committee names and frequency)
9. Minutes from the last 12 months of meetings where ADHD services were discussed
10. Terms of reference for any committees overseeing neurodevelopmental service commissioning
Strategic Planning
11. Names of individuals responsible for developing the ICB’s neurodevelopmental strategy
12. Details of any ADHD task force or working group members
13. Contact details for liaison with NHS England regional ADHD task and finish groups
Please provide this information in electronic format where possible. If any information is exempt under the Act, please cite the specific exemption and explain why it applies
Sandy Bering – Strategic Lead Clinical Commissioner / Consultant (Mental Health & Disabilities)
Melissa Maguiness – Programme Director – Commissioning Development
Chris Pimlott – Head of Mental Health Strategic Commissioning
Sandeep Ranote – Clinical Director Mental Health
Adam Jollies – CCPL Mental Health Lead for Community Transformation
Nojrul Chowdhury – Clinical Care Professional Lead (Mental Health CYP)
Maxine Lomas – Clinical Care Professional Lead Mental Health (Children and Young People) and Individual Funding Requests)
**An Organisational Structure of NHS GM – Current Board & Committee Structure was sent to the requester with this response. We are unable to upload this to the Disclosure Log due to the document type. If you require a copy of the full response, together with the documents, please contact NHS GM’s FOI team – nhsgm.foi@nhs.net**
= Organisational structure chart showing the reporting lines for all service commissioning, including ADHD.
Greater Manchester Mental Health Partnership Group – 14/10/2025
ADHD Steering Group
14/05/2024, 12/06/2024, 21/11/2024, 20/12/2024, 17/01/2025, 25/02/2025, 20/03/2025, 24/04/2025, 22/05/2025, 26/06/2025, 29/07/2025, 28/08/2025, 25/09/2025, and 30/10/2025
However, any further specific information from internal meetings is withheld by virtue of the FOIA exemptions listed below.
Section 36(2)(b)(i) and (ii) – Prejudice to the Effective Conduct of Public Affairs
Section 36 of the Act sets out a qualified exemption from the right where in the reasonable opinion of a qualified person such disclosure would prejudice the effective conduct of public affairs through:
The Minister responsible for the Freedom of Information in the Department of Health has authorised the senior person in charge of the National Health Service bodies to act as ‘Qualified Persons’ and under Section 5 of the National Health Service Act 1977 this is the Chief Executive. Under the Section 36 exemption, the ‘qualified person’ for NHS Greater Manchester (NHS GM) is Mr Colin Scales, Acting Chief Executive.
Mr Scales is of the opinion that the information should be withheld as he considers that it would, or would be likely to prejudice, the effective conduct of public affairs.
Disclosure of the minutes would, or would be likely to:
The meetings in question were held in private and form part of the ICB’s internal governance and operational decision-making processes. They involve candid discussion of financial risk, commissioning pressures, provider performance, and clinical considerations. The ability of staff to discuss these issues openly would be undermined if detailed minutes were routinely disclosed.
The decision to apply this exemption has been made with the reasonable opinion of the qualified person, as required by the Act.
Public Interest Test
Factors favouring disclosure.
Openness and transparency – It is important that NHS GM acknowledges their responsibility to be open, transparent and accountable.
Factors favouring non-disclosure.
NHS GM consider sharing the information requested would inhibit advice/views and openness between decision makers, necessary to agree appropriate service provision for the patients it serves. It is critical that NHS GM maintain the greatest possible confidence without any concern that confidential or sensitive information provided, consulted, or relied on may be compromised. Furthermore, to divert resources to manage the impact of disclosure, would cause disruption to important services that NHS GM provides, and the organisations ability to efficiently conduct public affairs.
Balancing Test.
NHS GM has carefully considered whether the requested information could be disclosed in a redacted or partial form. However, the exempt information described above is interwoven throughout the minutes to such an extent that meaningful disclosure would not be possible without undermining the protected interests. Redaction would leave the remaining material fragmentary and misleading and would not provide a coherent or accurate record of the discussions.
As such, it is the decision of NHS GM that the public interest at this time lies in non-disclosure of the information for the reasons outlined above. NHS GM consider that the public interest in withholding the information outweighs the public interest in disclosure.
Section 43(2) – Prejudice to Commercial Interests
Information is exempt information if its disclosure under this Act would, or would be likely to, prejudice the commercial interests of any person (including the public authority holding it)”.
In this instance, disclosure of the information would be likely to prejudice the commercial interests of the NHS GM. This exemption is subject to the public interest test and for the reasons outlined below we are satisfied that the exemption applies.
Public interest test
Factors favouring disclosure.
There is an inherent public interest in ensuring that there is openness and transparency in the spending of public money. Transparency is likely to increase confidence in procurement processes and the purchasing decisions made by NHS GM. It also enables the public to understand whether NHS GM was getting value for money from its purchasing decisions.
Factors favouring non-disclosure.
The minutes include information relating to:
Releasing this information would prejudice the commercial interests of both the ICB and its commissioned providers by revealing commissioning strategy, negotiating positions, and commercially sensitive data relevant to live contracts.
Balancing Test.
After considering the arguments outlined above, we have decided to withhold this information.
Section 40(2) – Personal Data
The minutes contain personal data relating to identifiable staff members, including names, roles, and contributions to discussion. These individuals had no reasonable expectation that their comments in a non-public internal meeting would be made publicly available. Disclosure would therefore breach the data protection principles, and the information is exempt under Section 40(2).
For the reasons set out above, the internal meeting minutes requested are withheld under Sections 36(2)(b)(i)–(ii), 43(2) and 40(2) of the FOIA.
**A PDF document was sent to the requester with this response. If you require a copy of the full response, together with the documents, please contact NHS GM’s FOI team – nhsgm.foi@nhs.net**
The Terms of Reference is overdue for review, this is planned for the beginning of the new financial year.
NHS GM does not hold Terms of Reference for the ADHD Steering Group – these are currently in development
Melissa Maguiness – Programme Director – Commissioning Development
Chris Pimlott – Head of Mental Health Strategic Commissioning
NHS GM does not have any members currently involved in the task force or working group members. Although in the past various NHS GM staff have supported through Regional and other sub groups supporting the ADHD Task Force and Autism Policy Team
Contact email: gm.icp@nhs.net Please mark for the attention of the colleague you are wishing to contact in the subject field.
