Service for the diagnosis and management of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in children and young people

• ADHD in children and young people commissioning guide (PDF format)

This commissioning guide provides support for the local implementation of NICE guidance through commissioning, and is a resource to help health professionals in England to commission an effective service for the diagnosis and management of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children and young people.

This commissioning guide should be read together with the following NICE guidance:

• NICE clinical guideline CG72 - Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: diagnosis and management of ADHD in children, young people and adults
• NICE technology appraisal TA102 - Parent-training/education programmes in the management of children with conduct disorders
• NICE technology appraisal TA98 - Methylphenidate, atomoxetine and dexamfetamine for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in children and adolescents.

The guidance covers clinical and cost effectiveness in detail and underpins the content of this guide. Implementation of the guidance noted above is the responsibility of local commissioners and/or providers. Commissioners and providers are reminded that it is their responsibility to implement this guidance, in their local context, in light of their duties to avoid unlawful discrimination and to have regard to promoting equality of opportunity. Nothing in the guidance should be interpreted in a way which would be inconsistent with compliance with those duties.

Services for children and young people up to the age of 19 years

The NICE clinical guideline CG72 on ADHD refers to ‘children' as aged 11 years and younger and does not cover the management of ADHD in children younger than 3 years. ‘Young people' are defined as those aged between 12 and 18 years. It also notes that these categories are flexible and clinicians should use their judgement about a child or young person's developmental, as opposed to their chronological, age.

This commissioning guide covers the management of ADHD in children as defined by NICE clinical guideline CG72 on ADHD, that is, aged between 3 and 11 years. It covers only those young people aged between 12 and 15 years because the NICE commissioning guide on a service for the diagnosis and management of ADHD in adults includes services for the transition of young people aged 16-17 years into adult services.

Commissioners will need to consider how best to ensure that services are provided across all age groups because service configuration and the timing of transition to adult services may vary locally. To ensure that the needs of young people up to the age of 19 years and those in transition to adult services are met, commissioners are advised to use this commissioning guide in conjunction with the commissioning guide on a service for the diagnosis and management of ADHD in adults. The assumptions section within this guide provides a rate for the estimated service requirements of children and young people aged 3-15 years. It also provides a rate for the estimated service requirements of young people up to and including the age of 17 years, which can be used within the commissioning and benchmarking tool to determine local service.

Commissioning this service is likely to require healthcare and joint commissioners to work closely with health and social services, education, children's trusts, adult ADHD services, and the third sector to provide a multidisciplinary response to children and young people with ADHD.

The guide:

• makes the case for commissioning a service for ADHD in children and young people
• specifies service requirements
• helps you determine local service levels
• helps you ensure corporate and quality assurance.

The full text of this commissioning guide can be downloaded or accessed from the navigation menu on the right hand side of the screen. Download the openly available commissioning and benchmarking tool, there is no need to register.

We are keen to improve the commissioning guides in order to better meet the needs of commissioners. Please send us your ideas for future topic-specific guides or other comments.

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• Topic-specific Advisory Group: service for ADHD in children and young people