Over 143,000 face waits for autism assessment  

As of June 2023, 143,119 people were waiting for an autism assessment in England, new NHS data has revealed. This is a 47% increase in the number of people waiting in just one year.   

NICE (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence) guidance states that no-one should wait longer than three months between being referred and first being seen. But this data shows that the vast majority of people 83% (118,000 people) have been waiting longer than 13 weeks. Furthermore, only 17% of those waiting longer than 13 weeks have actually received a first assessment. This is unacceptable.  

We are calling on the Government to urgently address the growing autism diagnosis crisis and to immediately invest in rolling out diagnosis services.
 

Too many waiting too long  

An autism diagnosis is vital to getting the right help and support. Without a diagnosis many people struggle at school, work or home, develop mental health problems like anxiety or depression - and in some cases end up in crisis or even in hospital.   

Currently, it’s a postcode lottery and delays have been made worse by the pandemic with the amount of people waiting for an autism assessment growing by 306% from the pre-pandemic level (Feb 2020) of 35,000.
 

Government must act  

The Government committed to “making demonstrable progress on reducing diagnosis waiting times” in its National Autism Strategy for England. These commitments however, only account for the first year (2021/22) of the strategy. We are calling on the Government to provide immediate funding for diagnosis because without this the number of people waiting for an autism assessment will continue to increase and more people will be pushed to crisis point.  

If waiting lists continue to grow at this rate, by June next year there would be over 210,000 people waiting for an autism assessment. Government must act now.
 

Our Response 

Mel Merritt, Head of Policy and Campaigns at the National Autistic Society, said: “The NHS has published the latest more accurate figures that show there are 143,119 people waiting for an autism assessment in England – an increase of 47% in just one year. People often can’t get the right help and support without an autism diagnosis, and long waits for diagnosis and support can leave people in a difficult situation and increase their likelihood of reaching crisis point. 

“Without urgent long-term funding for diagnosis services, waiting lists will continue to grow. The Government must invest in diagnosis services, as set out in the national autism strategy, to reduce waiting times and ensure all autistic children, young people and adults get the support they need. 

“The publication of these statistics is important. But it’s also important to remember that these figures are still new and are constantly being updated, so don’t yet give us a complete and fully accurate picture of just how long people are waiting for a diagnosis across England. The NHS must continue working to make this data more robust, so areas can be held to account for carrying out a diagnosis in good time.”