The long wait to diagnose autism

THE number of people waiting to be assessed for autism in England continues to grow at an alarming rate.

NHS figures show more than 143,000 people are waiting to be seen by a specialist – an increase of almost 50% in a year.

If the list continues to grow at the current rate, the figure will reach over 210,000 people in just 12 months’ time.

And as it emerged that only 17% of people who have been waiting over 13 weeks have actually received a first appointment, campaigners called for urgent funding to improve diagnosis services.

Mel Merritt, from the National Autistic Society, said: “People often can’t get the right help and support without an autism diagnosis, and long waits for diagnosis and support can leave people in a difficult situation and increase their likelihood of reaching crisis point.

Support

“Without urgent long-term funding for diagnosis services, waiting lists will continue to grow. The Government must invest in diagnosis services, as set out in the national autism strategy, to reduce waiting times and ensure all autistic children, young people and adults get the support they need.

“The publication of these statistics is important. But it’s also important to remember that these figures are still new and are constantly being updated, so don’t yet give us a complete and fully accurate picture of just how long people are waiting for a diagnosis across England.

“The NHS must continue working to make this data more robust, so areas can be held to account for carrying out a diagnosis in good time.”