Wales faces a potential surge in autism and ADHD waiting lists, with numbers possibly reaching 61,000 by 2027
Wales: The number of kids waiting for autism or ADHD assessments is set to skyrocket. A recent committee meeting revealed that the waiting list could jump to 61,000 in just two years.
Sarah Murphy, the mental health minister, shared that as of September 2024, about 20,770 children were already in line for these assessments. That’s a lot of kids!
She mentioned that by March 2027, the estimates show we could see between 41,000 and 61,000 kids waiting. Just to put it in perspective, back in September 2021, only around 4,100 were waiting.
During the meeting, Murphy pointed out that the Welsh Government is putting an extra £3 million into health boards to help tackle this issue. She emphasized that this funding is aimed at helping those who have been waiting the longest.
When asked about the rising numbers, she suggested that it’s likely due to more awareness around these conditions. She spoke with the National Autistic Society, who highlighted the need for not just awareness but also understanding and acceptance.
However, not everyone is thrilled about the situation. Conservative member Joel James expressed concern over the waiting lists potentially tripling. Murphy did mention that health boards are trying to bring in private sector help to manage the demand, but she warned that this isn’t a long-term solution.
The Welsh Government aims for 80% of kids to get assessed within 26 weeks, which is already longer than the 13 weeks recommended by NICE guidelines. Unfortunately, it seems that this target hasn’t been met across Wales for nearly a decade.
Recent data shows that 67% of children waited at least 26 weeks, and 45% waited over a year as of June 2023. It’s clear that there’s a lot of work to be done to improve this situation.
