How many local health boards currently provide a full diagnostic and treatment pathway for tics in children and young people?
No health board currently provides a comprehensive diagnostic and treatment pathway for tics in children and young people. There is significant variation in service provision – some offer support through neurodevelopmental services or child and adolescent mental health services, but none deliver an end-to-end pathway, which includes diagnosis and ongoing treatment.
At present, there is no National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidance about tics and Tourette Syndrome. The absence of NICE clinical guidelines for Tourette Syndrome has been identified as a factor contributing to inconsistencies in service design and delivery.
A Tourette pathway is being piloted in Hywel Dda University Health Board. This aims to improve access to diagnosis and support, and test models which could be scaled across Wales.