If you are encountering resistance for diagnosis or support from your doctors, local CCG or NHS Trust, you should help them understand that change is coming. Tell them NICE is developing a Quality Standard on FASD.
While Quality Standards aren’t mandatory, CCGs are supposed to ‘have regard’ for them and demonstrate how they are improving quality of care.
The NICE Quality Standard will be based on the Scottish SIGN 156 Guideline.
The draft NICE Quality Standard is available here.
The draft has 5 areas (these may change after the consultation process):
- Pregnant women are given advice not to drink alcohol at their first appointment. Advice is non-judgemental and supportive, with follow- up care if needed, such as counselling or help to stop drinking.
- Pregnant women have information on their alcohol consumption recorded throughout their pregnancy. This also will be recorded on the child’s records.
- Children and young people with physical, developmental or behavioural difficulties and probable prenatal alcohol exposure are referred for assessment.
- Neurodevelopmental assessment. Children and young people with confirmed prenatal alcohol exposure or all 3 facial features associated with prenatal alcohol exposure have a neurodevelopmental assessment if there are clinical concerns.
- Management plan. Children and young people with FASD will have a management plan to help coordinate care over a range of healthcare professionals, as well as education and social services.
