Research conducted by the Nuffield Trust has documented rapid increases in the number of people waiting for autism and ADHD assessments in England.
Findings include:
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In December 2023, there were 172,022 patients with an open referral for suspected autism – the highest number ever reported. This is at least a five-fold increase since 2019.
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In December 2023, four in five (79%) of patients with a suspected referral who had been waiting over 13 weeks had not had their first appointment with a specialist, up from 44% in December 2019
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Between October and December 2023, people who had a first appointment for suspected autism has, on average, waited over nine months since their referral, compared to four months during the same period in 2019
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Between 2019/20 and 2022/3, there was a 51% increase in the number of patients prescribed medication for ADHD. Within this, there was a 28% increase in the 10-14 age group and a 146% increase in the 30-34 age group.
