Exclusive:Children waiting 'intolerably long' for neurodevelopment assessments
The Scottish Liberal Democrats said the system is ‘completely broken’
Children with conditions such as autism and ADHD are being held back by “intolerably long” waits for treatment, it has been warned.
Figures show the average wait for youngsters seeking a neurodevelopment assessment is more than 500 days in most Scottish health boards.
Across the 12 health boards which provided data, 46,028 children are currently waiting for a neurodevelopment assessment.
The longest waiting times for a child neurodevelopment assessment are 2,428 days in NHS Highland and 2,181 in NHS Lanarkshire, according to figures uncovered by the Scottish Liberal Democrats.
Meanwhile, the current expected wait for new referrals is 1,430 days in NHS Dumfries & Galloway, 1,365 days in NHS Lanarkshire and 1,213 days in NHS Ayrshire & Arran.
The lowest average waiting time is 238 days in NHS Borders.
The Lib Dems have pledged to publish waiting time figures to increase accountability and end long waits for diagnosis and care, while working with NHS Scotland and GPs to establish a protocol for shared care for ADHD diagnoses.
The party also wants to hire more pupil support assistants to help children with neurodevelopmental conditions, among other measures.
Alex Cole-Hamilton, the leader of the Scottish Lib Dems, said: “Children with conditions like autism and ADHD are waiting intolerably long for treatment. They are stuck in a system that is completely broken and it’s holding them back in life.
“The SNP government should have seen this coming. Everyone knows that the pandemic was extremely harmful for children. It led to a spike in neurodevelopment challenges, which the SNP have completely failed to meet.
“Children, parents and families all deserve better. From delivering on shared care arrangements to increasing accountability of waiting times, Scottish Liberal Democrats are putting forward a plan that will end these horrific waits and deliver high-quality support.
“Scotland deserves to be a country where we benefit from the diverse talents of everyone, no matter their background.”
Eilidh Munro, SNP candidate for Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch, said: "As the mother of a child currently on a waiting list for a neurodiversity assessment, I recognise the challenges facing many families across Scotland.
“We have also experienced how good support provided by an educational setting in making adjustments for children with additional support needs can make such a huge difference.
“Demand for neurodevelopmental assessment and support has increased significantly in recent years, both in Scotland and globally.
“To meet this increased demand, we will work with partners across Scotland to adopt the Royal College of Psychiatrists’ four-tiered national pathway for neurodevelopmental conditions to ensure anyone with or without a formal neurodevelopmental diagnosis can access the support they need when and where they need it. We will begin work on this within the first 100 days of being re-elected.
“This builds on our work to deliver real, meaningful improvements for people with NDCs - including investing an additional £3.4 million to help children, young people and their families access neurodevelopmental support.
“Rather than soundbites from Alex Cole-Hamilton, this is the serious, reliable leadership you get from John Swinney and the SNP.”
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