Some NHS Grampian patients could be facing waits of more than two years to receive an autism assessment, according to statistics.
A freedom of information request from the Scottish Conservatives found 850 patients are waiting for an assessment by adult services across the north-east.
It also found only 55 NHS Grampian patients have been assessed in the last two years.
The party slammed the “lack of any nationally-agreed standards or assessment time expectations” and is calling for a meeting with mental wellbeing and social care minister Maree Todd.
The Tories have claimed that if the rate of assessments carries on, NHS Grampian potentially faces a 32-year backlog. However, the health board has stressed that while waiting times are long they are “not remotely near the level claimed” by the party.
Health bosses say they are taking action to improve the current waiting time of more than two years, but the service is experiencing a “steep” rise in referrals.
MSP highlights ‘massive increase’ in adult referrals
Aberdeenshire West MSP Alexander Burnett is the co-founder of the Scottish Parliament’s cross-party group on autism.
He has backed a report calling for all health and social care partnerships to create an “adult neurodevelopmental pathway strategy and planning group”.
The recommendation made by the National Autism Implementation Team (NAIT) based at Queen Margaret University, was accepted by then mental wellbeing and social care minister Kevin Stewart on March 24.
Now, the Scottish Conservative MSP has urged Ms Todd to outline additional support for local diagnosis.
He said: “Across the Grampian health board area, autism assessment times for younger people are being managed effectively. And in the past, 50 adults being seen in a year would be seen as average.
“But there has unquestionably been a massive increase in adult referrals which use the same limited resources available to NHS Grampian and the health and social care partnership.
“The lack of any nationally-agreed standards or assessment time expectations could mean that both boards and patients are flying blind.
“I ask the minister to meet the board and myself along with local elected members, to outline how adoption of the NAIT recommendations will work for the north-east, and whether diagnosis teams will be getting any extra support to drive the backlog down.”
NHS Grampian working to improve two-year waiting list
A spokesman for NHS Grampian said: “We categorically do not recognise the discrepant claims of a ‘32-year backlog’ in adult autism referrals.
“Such unsubstantiated claims – that take figures out of context – can create undue stress and anxiety for patients at an already difficult time in their lives.
“The service came into existence and started seeing patients in July 2021. During its initial period, fewer cases were assessed due to the ongoing pandemic and its effects.
“As awareness of the service has grown, the number of referrals has increased greatly. During the last 15 months, the number of patients seen and the team capacity have both increased.
“While waiting times are longer than we would like, we would reassure patients that they are not remotely near the level claimed. The average waiting time for a diagnostic appointment for autistic spectrum conditions – including autism and Aspergers – in the last two years has been 322.4 days.
“With the steep rise in referrals, the current wait is now more than two years, and we are continuing to take action to improve this.
“We will continue to communicate directly with our patients about their individual wait.”
Scottish Government already working on recommendations
A Scottish Government spokeswoman said teams are already working on the recommendations set out by NAIT.
She said: “The Scottish Government has provided £650,000 for adult neurodevelopmental pathway trials, following a feasibility study to investigate how a pathway for neurodevelopmental conditions, including autism and ADHD, would work.
“The final report, including the findings and recommendations of the trials was published in March. We have accepted the recommendations and we are working with the National Autism Implementation Team on implementation.
“We have also set out a range of standards for care so children and young people accessing neurodevelopmental services can get the support they need at the earliest opportunity.”
Conversation