THOUSANDS of patients are waiting months for an autism diagnosis in West Yorkshire, figures show.

The National Institute of Health and Care Excellence has set a target time of 13 weeks for those with suspected autism to be assessed.

But figures from NHS England show around 6,670 people in the area covered by the NHS West Yorkshire Integrated Care Board had been waiting at least this long for an autism diagnosis at the end of 2023.

Of these, 75 per cent were under 18.

This was up from the same point a year before, when 5,245 people were waiting for 13 weeks or longer, 73 per cent of them children.

Across England, referrals for autism have been on the rise for both adults and children.

An NHS spokesperson said: "The NHS is fully committed to supporting and improving the lives of those with ADHD and autism which is why we have published new national guidance to help local areas manage the 50 per cent increase in referrals they have seen.

"NHS England has also begun important work into investigating challenges in ADHD service provision and last month launched a cross sector taskforce alongside the Government, to help provide a joined-up approach for the growing numbers of people coming forward for support."