(UK) Glasgow: 800 kids on waitlist for ADHD/ASD assessment; 11yo waiting 3 yrs

Sept 14, 2025, Daily Record: Mum told health board is too skint to fund child's autism assessment after three year wait  https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/mum-told-health-board-skint-35898669.amp 

Charmaine Lacock’s daughter Sarah has been on a listing waiting with NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHSGGC) since 2022.

A desperate mum who has waited three years for an autism assessment for her 11-year-old has now been told the health board is too skint to fund it.

Last year the health board even suggested the family pay privately due to their ­staggering wait list with more than 800 children waiting to be assessed for neurodevelopmental conditions, including autism spectrum disorder and ADHD.

However the health board then told Charmaine they would struggle to provide treatment or support based only on a private diagnosis.

Now the 47-year-old mum of four has been told funding for specialists who carry out the assessments has been cut by the Scottish Government, reducing even further the number of children seen.

Charmaine, from Clydebank said: “We are just desperate now. This isn’t just our family, there are hundreds of other people out there struggling and just having to cope without any support. . . .

Scottish Parliament figures show more than 42,000 kids waiting for a neuro-developmental assessment as of March.

This has risen dramatically since 2020, with hikes of over 500 per cent for children in some areas.

Last year, in desperation, ­Charmaine contacted her MP Douglas McAllister who wrote to the NHS on her behalf.

NHSGGC told him that due to a merging of services, the current waiting times were around three years.

They said: “We are working through our waiting list as quickly as we can, however the service has nearly 800 children waiting to be assessed. . . .

She claims NHS staff told her that Scottish Government funding to help clear the waiting list had now come to an end, and they couldn’t give any guidance on when her daughter would be assessed.

Charmaine said: “I was told by the NHS the lack of a diagnosis wouldn’t prevent us from applying for disability benefit for Sarah. This isn’t something I never asked about or ever want or need.

“These waiting lists are pushing people on to disability lists at a time when the government wants to actually reduce their benefits bill. None of it makes sense. It isn’t about benefits. It’s about making sure my daughter has the correct help she needs.”

Charmaine said she has seen parents online recommending different treatments for children they suspect have autism or ADHD, and warned that the NHS delays were causing people to take matters into their own hands.

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Earlier this year, Labour MSP Daniel Johnson’s learning disabilities, autism and neurodivergence Bill was ditched.

He wanted more resources to be given to child mental health services and a waiting time guarantee.

McAllister, said: “This is a shocking example which shows the scale of SNP NHS failure.