NHS waiting lists for autism assessments hit record high after ‘seismic’ rise in awareness of the condition

A “seismic” rise in autism awareness has pushed waiting lists to record levels, experts say.

The NHS waiting list for an autism assessment is the longest since current records began five years ago.

Charities have warned that long waits can be detrimental to patients and called for urgent action to meet the rise in demand.

Figures released by NHS Digital show that the total number of waits for an assessment and waits of more than 13 weeks are the highest since data collection began.

Last December, 172,040 people were awaiting assessment, up from 117,020 a year earlier and more than five times the 32,220 in December 2019.

Those waiting at least 13 weeks total 147,070, six times the number in 2019 (24,250) and compared to 97,170 a year earlier.

Experts said these figures were largely due to growing recognition of the spectrum disorder, which was only widely diagnosed as a full-fledged illness this century.

Dr Conor Davidson, autism advocate at the Royal College of Psychiatrists, said: “Public awareness of autism has increased significantly in recent years, leading to a seismic increase in the number of people seeking support.

“It is estimated that at least 1 percent of the population is autistic, so it is likely that demand will continue to grow in the years to come.” He added that “the vast majority of people face unacceptable expectations for an assessment, and we cannot allow this to become normal.”

Autism is a spectrum disorder that affects the way people communicate and interact. According to the World Health Organization, approximately one in 100 children worldwide suffers from this disease.

Signs in adults include not understanding how others feel, worrying about social situations, having a strict routine, or appearing blunt without meaning to.

Children with autism may avoid eye contact and not respond to their name being called, among other symptoms.

Autistic people are also much more likely to have a coexisting mental illness, which can put them at increased risk of self-harm and suicide if they cannot access the care and treatment they need, warned Dr. Davidson.

Mel Merritt, head of policy and campaigns at the National Autistic Society, said: “It is extremely worrying that waiting lists for autism assessment in England have almost doubled in the last year.

“There are now more than 172,000 people at risk of being left without the right help and support in their daily lives, almost twice the capacity of Wembley Stadium.

“The government promised to make significant progress in reducing waiting times for diagnoses in its autism strategy, but these figures clearly show that the opposite is actually happening.”

A government spokesperson said: “We know that timely autism diagnosis is vital, and we have released £4.2 million this year to improve care for children and adults. young people with autism, including autism assessment services.

“NHS England has also published a national framework to accelerate assessment, and our £13 million partnership with the Department for Education and NHS England is testing ideas that will improve access to specialist support for neurodiverse children in elementary schools.”