July 19, 2023, Big Issue: ADHD and autism campaigners plan legal action against NHS over referral limits https://www.bigissue.com/news/adhd-and-autism-campaigners-plan-legal-action-against-nhs-over-referral-limits/
Campaigners are planning to launch legal action after NHS chiefs in North Yorkshire placed limits on which adults can get referrals for autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) assessments.
North Yorkshire and York Health and Care Partnerships introduced a pilot programme in March in which adults seeking an NHS assessment for autism or ADHD are triaged via an online screening tool.
NHS chiefs say this screening process prioritises those with the most severe needs, rather than processing referrals in chronological order.
These priority needs reportedly include the patient being at risk of immediate self-harm or harming others, at risk of being unable to have lifesaving hospital treatment or care placement, or an imminent risk of family court decisions being determined on diagnosis.
Those who do not meet the criteria are given guidance and signposted to other support networks.
But campaigners say that in practise that means that most people cannot get a referral for an assessment – GPs can no longer make referrals themselves.
And now activists are launching a crowdfunder to raise £5,000-10,000 for the early stages of a legal challenge to the pilot, amid fears it could create a blueprint for NHS bodies in other parts of the country trying to grapple with a nationwide crisis in mental health services. Earlier this year NHS managers in the south west of England backed down on similar proposals in the face of a planned legal challenge.
The disabled-led York Disability Rights Forum (YDRF) has secured legal advice about a judicial review. “We’re seeking legal support as a last resort; we don’t take this action lightly,” said Hilary Conroy of YDRF. “NHS leaders have ignored or dismissed our every attempt to communicate with them to highlight the community’s concerns relating to the decisions they have made.
“Denying people access to appropriate assessment and treatment is not acceptable. We will continue to champion the voices of the neurodivergent community and will not give up on them. Assessment is a right, not a luxury.”
“What we think is happening is that only the people that have the most severe needs can join the waiting list,” said ADHD campaigner Cat Owens. “The people that are being screened are the people that would normally have been referred by the GP. So the vast majority of the people who are being screened are not going to be put on the waiting list under the pilot.
“There are a lot of undiagnosed people who need access to assessment, especially because of the historical underdiagnosis of girls and women. We understand there are systemic pressures but the solution should be found by working with the community. Refusing to flat out refusing to assess people is unacceptable.” …
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