| Reference | FOI 2026/1565 |
|---|---|
| Description | Neurodivergent Assessment Services Data 2023-2026 |
| Date Requested | 20/01/2026 |
| Date Replied | 17/02/2026 |
| Category | Mental Health & LDA Commissioning |
Under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, I request the following information regarding neurodivergent (ADHD and autism) assessment services:
1) For each NHS provider currently commissioned to deliver neurodivergent assessment services in your area, what is the total annual contract value for:
2023/24
2024/25
2025/26 (to date)
If block contracts cover multiple services beyond neurodivergent assessments, please provide the total contract value and indicate what proportion or percentage relates to neurodivergent assessment services.
2) What is the total spending on Right to Choose activity (payments to private/independent sector providers) for neurodivergent assessments for:
2023/24
2024/25
2025/26 (to date)
3) How many neurodivergent assessments were completed by NHS-commissioned providers for:
2023/24
2024/25
2025/26 (to date)
If complete data is not held by the ICB, please provide activity data available from provider reporting.
4) How many neurodivergent assessments were paid for via Right to Choose providers for:
2023/24
2024/25
2025/26 (to date)
This should be available from invoicing data even if individual patient-level data is not routinely collected by ICB.
5) What were the average waiting times from referral to assessment for NHS-commissioned neurodivergent assessments for:
2023/24
2024/25
2025/26 (most recent data)
If ICB does not hold this data directly, please provide the most recent waiting time data reported by commissioned providers.
6) Please provide a complete list of all providers that have invoiced your ICB for neurodivergent assessment services for:
2023/24
2024/25
2025/26 (to date)
1) Where NHS GM commissions neurodivergent assessments from NHS providers, this is done so as part of a wider block contract with each NHS Foundation Trust. The nature of these block contracts is such that NHS GM is unable to separately identify the value of the contract for specific services. Such contracts have been in place for each of the years 2023/24, 2024/25 and 2025/26.
Information in respect of the contracts is included in the contracts list on the NHS GM website – Publication scheme | Greater Manchester Integrated Care Partnership
NHS GM does not hold information regarding what proportion or percentage of the total contract values relates to neurodivergent assessment services, as overall spend on Learning Disabilities and autism also includes complex individual placements and beds.
2) The total spending on Right to Choose activity (payments to private/independent sector providers) for neurodivergent assessments is:
2023/24 – £5.356m
2024/25 – £13.941m
2025/26 (to date) – £22.317m (to M10)
3) NHS GM does not hold this information. This information would need to be accessed directly from the NHS Provider Trusts and NHS-Commissioned providers.
To assist you, please find below links to their websites with information about how to make a Freedom of Information request.
4) The information requested is not held by NHS Greater Manchester (NHS GM) in the format requested. Data is not received from their providers in a format that would enable this request to be complied with, as information is contained on invoices, rather than in a data submission.
Therefore, this section of your request is exempt by virtue of the following exemption, Section 12(1).
Section 12(1) does not oblige a public authority to comply with a request for information if the authority estimates that the cost of complying with the request would exceed the appropriate limit.
The Freedom of Information Act allows Public Authorities to decline to answer FOI requests when we estimate it would cost us more than £450 (equivalent to 18 hours, calculated at £25 per hour) to identify, locate, extract, and then provide the information that has been asked for.
NHS Greater Manchester (NHS GM) consists of the 10 Greater Manchester localities, Bolton, Bury, Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale, Manchester, Oldham, Salford, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford and Wigan (former Clinical Commissioning Groups). It is estimated that 3,000 invoices are in scope of the request. This is due to the large number of providers (see below) and that each provider may raise a separate invoice for each locality. Each invoice is anticipated to take 3 minutes to search locate and extract the information per invoice. Using the estimated calculation below it would require a disproportionate amount of time and resources to locate extract and collate the data, and therefore, on this occasion it is with regret NHS GM are not able to process this section of your request further.
3,000 invoices received in total x 3 minutes per invoice = 9,000 minutes, (150 hours)
Although we cannot answer your request, this may be available from the individual providers. In line with section 16 of the Freedom of Information Act, please find below links to their websites with information about how to make a Freedom of Information request to assist you.
5) NHS GM do not hold this information. This information would need to be accessed directly from the NHS Provider Trusts and NHS-Commissioned providers.
To assist you, please find below links to their websites with information about how to make a Freedom of Information request.
6) Please see below list of all providers that have invoiced NHS GM for neurodivergent assessment services:
