(UK) Gateshead: 253 kids referred for ASD assessment in 2024; over a year wait
- The end of childhood
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Sept 12, 2025, Chronicle Live: Children in Gateshead left waiting more than a year for autism diagnosis
NE England
The NHS wants to reduce the time before a diagnosis is made
Children are waiting an average of 64 weeks for an autism diagnosis in Gateshead – however ambitions remain to reduce waits to under 20 weeks. Figures from NHS North East and North Cumbria have revealed a drop in average waiting times for young children aged four and under receiving an autism diagnosis from 84 weeks in October 2024 to 64 weeks in March 2025.
The decrease has been attributed to improved “Joint Health and Education Panels” which come together and collect the relevant information for potential referrals.
Gateshead councillors were informed on Thursday afternoon however it is the ambition of the NHS to see the wait times fall further to just 18 weeks by March 2026. This is despite a general trend in increasing referrals.
In 2016, 88 children were referred for an autism diagnosis in Gateshead. The figure for 2024 stands at 253. According to the British Medical Association, there are around 700,000 people in the UK with an autism diagnosis. One in 100 children in the UK are also estimated to be on the autism spectrum.
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