This story was first published in digitalhealth.net
NHS plan could reduce autism diagnoses
An alliance of five clinical commissioning groups in south-west London is considering proposals to reduce the number of children being diagnosed with autism.
Board papers from a recent meeting of south-west London and St George's mental health trust highlight a service under intense pressure, with the team receiving almost double the level of demand of its 750 assessments a year target, and in one cases having waiting times for autism diagnoses of more than 10 months.
The CCGs, covering Kingston, Merton, Richmond, Wandsworth and Sutton, have reiterated that the idea of restricting an autism diagnosis to only the most severe cases was only being discussed, and - if it were too go ahead - would focus specifically on children who have another condition such as depression.
In response to the news, the National Autistic Society has expressed deep concerns, saying that the plans could ‘leave many local children without access to a diagnosis and unable to access the specialist support they desperately need’.
The charity has written to commissioners to express its concerns and to offer to help them make sure that this service remains available.
Sarah Lambert, head of policy, said: “We believe this goes against CCGs' legal duty to make sure children in their area can access a diagnosis service. An autism diagnosis can be life changing. It can explain years of feeling different and help unlock crucial advice and support."
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