Data collected under the Freedom of Information Act show that 2,835 autistic children referred to the Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership NHS Trust did not yet have a first date, an average of 88 weeks after their referral. The longest wait at the time the reply was sent in January was 251 weeks – almost five years. Meanwhile, 1,250 children with ADHD referred to the trust have not yet made a first appointment, having waited an average of 46 weeks – and 195 weeks at worst. The Berkshire Healthcare NHS Trust has 2,801 referrals of autistic children who are still waiting for their first appointment after an average of 60 weeks. Among the 2,443 children with ADHD referrals – who waited an average of 87 weeks for a first date – the longest wait is 193 weeks, or almost four years. In 20 NHS trusts that provided data, children with outstanding autism referrals waited an average of almost six months for their first date. Cathy Pyle’s daughter Eva spent 20 months waiting for an autism assessment from the local NHS Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) in Surrey, having already waited 11 months for a mental health assessment after suffering more and more during the first of. year of secondary education, culminating in self-injury. “The sensory aspects of her autism are really important,” Pyle told the Observer. “That’s how he found the crowds in the corridors, the jerking, the pushing and the pushing – he found the noises really, really unbearable.” The 11-month wait for a mental health assessment was bad enough – she stopped going to school altogether until Christmas in her sophomore year and was afraid to leave home. But the subsequent 20-month wait for an autism assessment, which coincided with the onset of the pandemic, saw her condition worsen further. “During the first lockdown, he appeared to have an eating disorder and had terrible panic attacks,” Pyle said. She was diagnosed with anorexia and received initial treatment, but the Eating Disorders team sent her back to CAMHS as they thought autism was the main problem. Delays in diagnosis meant he could not be placed in a school for autistic children. After the diagnosis, her mental health worsened. “I think it was so devastating that people did not recognize it and it was not identified in time so that proper support could be given. And I think that contributed to the collapse. “So he ended up being treated several times over the summer,” Pyle said. Eva is now 15 years old, receiving educational and therapeutic benefits and her mental health is improving. Her experience is not unique – Natasha Fletcher’s daughter, Ava, spent a year in the NHS diagnosing autism before giving up after being told it would take another six months to a year. Fletcher ended up spending ρες thousands on a private diagnosis of autism – from a psychiatrist at CAMHS’s own service who had kept her on hold. Dr Rosena Allin-Khan, a member of parliament for Shadow Labor’s mental health minister, said: “The NHS is doing an incredible job with the resources it has, but long waits for treatment have a significant impact on patients and families. It is unacceptable that the six-month wait has become the standard for autism referrals, with many others waiting years to appear on the Conservative watch. “Waiting so long for treatment will have a negative impact on the child’s development.” A Coventry and Warwickshire CCG spokesman said: “We recognize that our waiting times, especially for autism and ADHD assessments, are longer than we would like. We are investing ,4 5.4 million in additional diagnostic capacity “. The Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust said it was investing in extra staff and capacity to meet rising referral levels. A government spokesman said: “We know how vital it is for children to have early diagnoses of autism and ADHD and we are working to improve the waiting time for evaluation. “Support for neurosocial children is part of our NHS Long-Term Plan – developing packages with charities and child services to support them throughout the diagnostic process.”
title: “Autistic Children Wait Up To Five Years For An Nhs Appointment Autism " ShowToc: true date: “2022-11-14” author: “Jaime Cote”
Data collected under the Freedom of Information Act show that 2,835 autistic children referred to the Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership NHS Trust did not yet have a first date, an average of 88 weeks after their referral. The longest wait at the time the reply was sent in January was 251 weeks – almost five years. Meanwhile, 1,250 children with ADHD referred to the trust have not yet made a first appointment, having waited an average of 46 weeks – and 195 weeks at worst. The Berkshire Healthcare NHS Trust has 2,801 referrals of autistic children who are still waiting for their first appointment after an average of 60 weeks. Among the 2,443 children with ADHD referrals – who waited an average of 87 weeks for a first date – the longest wait is 193 weeks, or almost four years. In 20 NHS trusts that provided data, children with outstanding autism referrals waited an average of almost six months for their first date. Cathy Pyle’s daughter Eva spent 20 months waiting for an autism assessment from the local NHS Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) in Surrey, having already waited 11 months for a mental health assessment after suffering more and more during the first of. year of secondary education, culminating in self-injury. “The sensory aspects of her autism are really important,” Pyle told the Observer. “That’s how he found the crowds in the corridors, the jerking, the pushing and the pushing – he found the noises really, really unbearable.” The 11-month wait for a mental health assessment was bad enough – she stopped going to school altogether until Christmas in her sophomore year and was afraid to leave home. But the subsequent 20-month wait for an autism assessment, which coincided with the onset of the pandemic, saw her condition worsen further. “During the first lockdown, he appeared to have an eating disorder and had terrible panic attacks,” Pyle said. She was diagnosed with anorexia and received initial treatment, but the Eating Disorders team sent her back to CAMHS as they thought autism was the main problem. Delays in diagnosis meant he could not be placed in a school for autistic children. After the diagnosis, her mental health worsened. “I think it was so devastating that people did not recognize it and it was not identified in time so that the right support could be given. And I think that contributed to the collapse. “So he ended up being treated several times over the summer,” Pyle said. Eva is now 15 years old, receiving educational and therapeutic benefits and her mental health is improving. Her experience is not unique – Natasha Fletcher’s daughter, Ava, spent a year in the NHS diagnosing autism before giving up after being told it would take another six months to a year. Fletcher ended up spending thousands of pounds on a private diagnosis of autism – from a psychiatrist at CAMHS’s own service who had kept her on hold. Dr Rosena Allin-Khan, a member of parliament for Shadow Labor’s mental health minister, said: “The NHS is doing an incredible job with the resources it has, but long waits for treatment have a significant impact on patients and families. It is unacceptable that the six-month wait has become the standard for autism referrals, with many others waiting years to appear on the Conservative watch. “Waiting so long for treatment will have a negative impact on the child’s development.” A Coventry and Warwickshire CCG spokesman said: “We recognize that our waiting times, especially for autism and ADHD assessments, are longer than we would like. We are investing ,4 5.4 million in additional diagnostic capacity “. The Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust said it was investing in extra staff and capacity to meet rising referral levels. A government spokesman said: “We know how vital it is for children to have early diagnoses of autism and ADHD and we are working to improve the waiting time for evaluation. “Supporting neurosocial children is part of our NHS Long-Term Plan – developing packages with charities and child services to support them throughout the diagnostic process.”
