Mar 14, 2023, i News: Slow ADHD, autism and dyslexia diagnoses by NHS leaves too many ‘falling through gaps’, Government told https://inews.co.uk/news/politics/adhd-autism-dyslexia-slow-diagnosis-government-2207011
A new campaign group, Conservative Friends of Neurodiversity, warns people are not getting crucial help quickly enough from the NHS, leaving them at a ‘disadvantage’.
A new Tory pressure group is calling on the Government improve diagnoses for conditions like attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism and dyslexia to stop people “falling through the gaps”.
The Conservative Friends of Neurodiversity has warned that slow diagnosis of neurodiverse conditions is stopping people getting crucial help, leaving them at a “disadvantage”.
The group, formally launching this week to mark the start of Neurodiversity Celebration Week, is calling for improvements to the way people with dyslexia, dyspraxia, attention deficit disorders and those on the autistic spectrum are assessed and helped….
Last year the National Autistic Society warned that NHS figures showed more than 100,000 people were waiting for an autism assessment in England – an increase of 40 per cent year on year. Despite guidelines from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) stating no one should be waiting more than three months for a diagnosis, the vast majority are exceeding this limit.
Similarly, the ADHD Foundation, which is backing the campaign group, has warned of poor awareness of the condition – specifically in women….
A spokesperson for the Department of Health and Social Care said: “Timely diagnosis for neurodiversity conditions like ADHD, autism and dyslexia is vital for early intervention and support, and there are clear guidelines on improving diagnosis and treatment which we expect the NHS to follow.
“We are investing £2.5m [$3M] this year to improve autism diagnosis and we are also increasing investment into mental health services by at least £2.3bn a [$2.8B] year by 2023/24 so an additional two million people can get the support they need.”
