(UK) Belfast: NI's autism explosion: 'It’s in crisis and spiralling into catastrophe'

July 19, 2025, Belfast Live: Waiting lists "balloon further" as Trust offers only half of needed autism assessments https://www.belfastlive.co.uk/news/waiting-lists-balloon-further-trust-32094716

"The Trust can conduct 420 assessments per year, but received 950 referrals," says Health Minister

Autism waiting lists are continuing to grow with twice as many children coming forward for diagnosis each year than one NI health Trust is able to cope with, an MLA has discovered.

Foyle MLA Mark H Durkan, following a written query for the Health Minister Mike Nesbitt, has discovered the extent to which demand for diagnosis is far outstripping the ability for the Western Trust to cope. He is warning that waiting lists will "balloon further" due to demand for diagnosis far outstripping the Trust's ability to offer assessments.

"In the past year alone", Mr Durkan said, "nearly 1,000 children were referred for autism assessments, yet the service can only accommodate around 450 annually." . . .

Health Minister Mike Nesbitt also confirmed that, despite the growth in demand having been "consistently" raised by officials at the Trust, the Trust officials have been told there is simply no money available to tackle the problem.

In a statement, Mr Durkan said: "The figures coming from the Western Trust are nothing short of shocking. Over 2,600 children are now stuck on the waiting list, a number that continues to rise year on year. Services are overwhelmed and barely staying afloat, with demand constantly outstripping capacity. 

"If this trajectory, the backlog will balloon further. In real terms, even if demand holds steady at 950 referrals a year, the Trust will see an additional 500 children added to the waiting list every year . Over the next five years, this would mean an extra 2,500 children, bringing the total waiting list to well over 5,000. This isn’t just a looming crisis, it’s in crisis and spiralling into catastrophe."

He continued: “Children are being left to wait years for diagnosis often missing the critical early window for intervention. Families are under enormous emotional strain. Schools are struggling to support undiagnosed children whose needs are going unmet.

“Adult services are in crisis too, with only enough staff to carry out 60 assessments a year despite demand being three times that.

 “This isn’t a new issue. The Trust has been sounding the alarm for years, submitting business cases, engaging with Commissioners and making clear the scale of need. And still, the Department’s response is the same; that there’s no funding available. That is simply not good enough."

Mr Durkan added: “I acknowledge the pressures across the health service, but autism services in the Western Trust have been allowed to fall deeper into crisis. Staff are being pushed to breaking point. Autistic individuals and their families are being left in limbo without the support they need to thrive and in many cases survive. I’ve written to the Health Minister urging immediate intervention and investment in these services.” . . .

"WHSCT Children's Services report that since 2016, the demand for autism assessments for children and young people has been much higher than the service's capacity. The Trust can conduct 420 assessments per year, but received 950 referrals in the period April 2024 to March 2025. WHSCT advise that more investment is needed to reduce delays in autism diagnosis." . . .