A BRADFORD organisation has contributed to a national study on autism which found that many children were having to wait too long for an assessment.

The report by the Healthwatch Network has been published today as part of World Autism Awareness Week, with Healthwatch Bradford and District’s work among the findings used. It aims to raise awareness of people’s experiences of the lifelong developmental disability.

Nationally they found that there are long waiting times for people to get an appointment for a diagnosis assessment - more than three years in some instances, and that some GP surgeries and schools find it difficult to spot the signs of autism consistently.

Locally, additional challenges were identified, including no clear pathway to diagnosis and insufficient support available for people with autism in the area.

In the district Healthwatch has been working to help drive improvements, and after raising concerns, local healthcare commissioners have increased funding to tackle the current backlog of people waiting for diagnosis.

Ali Jan Haider, director of strategy for NHS Bradford Districts Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), said: “We recognise there are increasing requests for autism assessment across all age groups in the Bradford district, consistent with national trends, which unfortunately has led to some people having to wait longer for diagnosis.”

“We are working closely with partner organisations to redesign services and improve access for people of all ages, and a new recently developed strategy will support and strengthen this work.”

Healthwatch Bradford and District’s manager, Victoria Simmons said: “Healthwatch heard stories from people across the district about how Autistic Spectrum Conditions affected their lives, and how important it is to get a timely diagnosis and a support package that works around an individual’s needs.”

She added: “We’re working closely with local partners to keep the pressure up to improve both diagnosis and support for people across the Bradford District.”

The local report can be found at healthwatchbradford.co.uk.

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