Record number of people in England waiting for autism assessment in June

By Storm Newton and Ian Jones, Reporters8th August 2024News EnglandAutism / Aspergers / ADHD, Learning Disabilities, News England, NHS, Primary Care / GP's, Special Education Needs / Disabilities

A record number of people in England were waiting for an autism assessment in June, according to new figures.

Nine out of 10 patients were waiting longer than the recommended 13 weeks, the data shows.

Experts called the system “broken” and called for change or risk people missing out on “early vital support”.

There were 187,567 people in England waiting for an autism assessment for the month, another record high and up 22% from 153,969 in June 2023, according to NHS Digital.

The figure is also nine times the 20,509 people who were waiting five years earlier in June 2019.

Of the total, almost two thirds – or 117,494 – were aged between 0 and 17.

Mel Merritt, head of policy and campaigns at the National Autistic Society, said: “Rocketing waiting lists mean people are waiting years for an autism assessment and missing out on early vital support. This broken system must change.”

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) recommends that people with suspected autism should get a diagnosis within 13 weeks of referral.

Of June’s total, some 163,666 people – or nine in 10 – had been waiting for more than 13 weeks for an assessment, including 101,987 who were aged 0 to 17.

Ms Merritt added: “An autism assessment can be the first step to understanding people’s needs and although they shouldn’t be, people are often told they can’t get support without a diagnosis.

“Getting the NHS back on its feet means fixing the crisis in diagnosis waiting times. People across the country are depending on the Government to end this scandal.”

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “The NHS is broken and there are unacceptable delays in autism diagnosis – we are working hard to fix this.

“We are committed to reducing waiting times and ensuring people with autism can access high-quality care and support more quickly.”