ADHD and autism assessments paused as demand soars

Six-year-old Amira is waiting for an assessmen for Autistic Spectrum Disorder

Autism and ADHD assessments have been paused across Greater Manchester as demand for diagnosis and support services continues to grow, the NHS has said.

The decision affects all new non-urgent assessments with NHS Right to Choose providers, and not those already with an appointment, Greater Manchester NHS (NHS GM) said.

It stressed this was a temporary measure which would last until "at least April" - to prioritise those with the most urgent clinical needs and those already in the system.

Nicolle Loughlin, from Cheetham Hill, has been trying to get her six-year-old daughter assessed for Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) for the past five years, and said the "rejection and dismissal" is frustrating.

The 33-year-old said of her daughter Amira: "She is behind, and get's excluded... it's very sad.

"It's been frustrating going through rejection and dismissal for five years trying to find some kind of avenue for support for her.

She was put on a waiting list in May through the NHS Right to Coose scheme

Mrs Loughlin said Amira was put on a waiting list for an ASD assessment in May through the NHS service Right to Choose, which gives patients in England a legal right to choose their healthcare provider.

Since it began in 2018, it has allowed patients to explore alternative providers if waiting times in their area are too long.

Mrs Loughlin said she was told last month that "any referral currently going to a provider is unlikely to be seen before April 2026 at the earliest".

Clinical Partners, the provider assigned to Amira, said that its agreement with NHS GM included a set number of assessments per year which was reached in October.

A spokesperson said: "We cannot comment on the volume of the assessments we will do this year as it is up to the ICB (NHS Greater Manchester) to determine when we recommence assessments and how many we might do."

Amira's school has provisions for children with a range of special educational needs - including separate classrooms, sensory activities and one-to-one support.

But for Amira to be able to access this, she must first have a learning support plan in place - which Mrs Loughlin said will only be possible after a formal assessment.

She now feels she might have to pay privately for an assessment.

"I have been left with no options and no advice about alternative routes," she said.

"I'm now in a situation whereby I can't justify the private fees but I can't keep going in the situation I'm in with my daughter."

Amira has regular tantrums and bites herself, Mrs Loughlin says

NHS Greater Manchester said the pause is a response to a significant increase in demand across both adult and children's autism and ADHD services.

NHS GM said: "Across the country, and here in Greater Manchester, demand for autism and ADHD assessments has risen sharply over recent years.

"The number of children and adults waiting has increased year on year and the rate of referrals continues to exceed available capacity.

"This creates very long waits, which we know are difficult for individuals and families."

It said it was working with providers and partners to develop "a fair and sustainable long-term approach to meet this rising demand".

"We are also increasing investment in community-based services, self-help resources, digital solutions, coaching and peer support groups, so that people can access practical help and advice while waiting for assessment or support," a spokesperson said.

"Patients on existing waiting lists will retain their place and their original referral date. We expect non-urgent appointments to resume when the new financial year begins, subject to budget confirmation.

"We recognise how challenging this situation is for families and are committed to improving the timeliness, quality and accessibility of neurodevelopmental services across Greater Manchester."

'Biting herself'

Mrs Loughlin said she has been told that in the "most urgent of cases" there may still be a route, but is skeptical of how this is assessed.

"How do they determine urgency?" she said.

"As a family, we've been struggling - it's affected my own mental health," she said.

She said the situation is affecting Amira's younger brother, who sees her "upset, biting herself, and having tantrums".

"It's quite distressing for him when she kicks the walls and screams cyclically for like half an hour or more a time - he doesn't understand why, he's only three," she added.

Henry Shelford, from the charity ADHD UK, said: "Neurodivergent people in Greater Manchester are being failed.

"The decision to further ration services is just fundamentally wrong."

He added: "It's completely unfair and I don't understand why we - people with ADHD, people with autism - are just treated so differently from others.

"As a group, we are not benefiting from the concerted effort to bring down wait times."

Henry Shelford from ADHD UK said pausing assessments was "fundamentally wrong"