Plans for adult neurodivergence diagnosis service

Plans to introduce services that would allow for diagnosis and better support for neurodivergent people on the Isle of Man by 2029 have been outlined.

Health and Social Care Minister Claire Christian said - subject to funding approval of £2.8m - the department would create an NHS diagnosis pathway for neurodivergent people on the island.

Currently there is no route of assessment for attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD) or autism for adults who have not been diagnosed in childhood.

This week, Tynwald passed the plans to create a diagnostic centre for those with ADHD and autism by 1 April 2027.

During the debate, Christian also outlined plans to improve support and understanding within key services people come into contact with, including primary care, education settings, workplaces, community services.

A focus would be put on earlier identification of need, reasonable adjustments, clear guidance for employers and offering better support for families and carers, she said.

The plan was to bring both elements together into a "single, coherent, all-age, neurodivergent pathway" to be completed by 2029 which was expected to cost £2.8m, she said.

She said the plans would aim to better support those with autism, ADHD, dyslexia, dyspraxia, dysgraphia and dyscalculia.

Members also backed an amendment put forward by Joney Faragher MHK that detailed and costed funding proposals, including timelines and anticipated outcomes, which should be brought forward for Tynwald approval.

Faragher argued that without secured funding, it was merely an "ambition"" and her amendment would ensure that the "long overdue process isn't only promised, but realised".

She raised concerns that the 2029 target date was a delay for those still awaiting diagnosis, and that no plans had been outlined for support in the interim.

Michelle Haywood said it was "absolutely the right direction of travel," but noted that there were a "couple of challenges over how we are going to quantify how much unmet need there is."

MLC Kirstie Morphet noted that diagnosis "must not become the end point" and there needed to be "clear safeguards in the plans to make sure it leads to support, interventions and practical approaches, not just a reliance on medication".

And Julie Edge MHK said the report acknowledged what many people on the Isle of Man have known for years, that support for neurodivergent people is "fragmented, inconsistent and far too limited, particularly for adults".

In response Christian said work in the interim could take place for those who already have a private diagnosis to be accepted within Manx Care, and if they were being prescribed medication that could be offered on the NHS.

She said the department would explore the costings and timelines of the strategy, and committed to that work being brought back to Tynwald by December.

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