To think a 9 MONTH waiting list for a medical assessment is a disgrace?

[MadMumx1]

This for a Neuro Development assessment for a child. Outcome will impact on education and support services will be not available until results of assessment available.

I expected 3-4 months but not 9 months!

WTAF!

No point in private diagnosis just in its suggested as it will not be accepted by Local Authority.

A local parent on a FB group said that in our area they are doing part of the ASD assessment online (via web chat) because the waiting list is so long.

My sister is an OT. She says some of the wait time is because of parents whose child has absolutely nothing wrong with them, but simply aren't doing as well as they'd like them to be, so try to get them assessed for everything.

2.5 years here for an asd assessment. 17 months and counting for a Tamhs referral for a chronic self harmer ☹️ 6 months for physio though

We've had similar; the best bit is that I get private medical cover through work and hoped to be able to use that to speed it up... but no, apparently very few private hospitals are prepared to deal with children at all because apparently even young teens are a completely different species, not just smaller versions of adults . Also, some of the places I called - and in desperation I called loads - told me that I can use my private insurance, but it'll make no difference at all since I'd still have to wait on the same waiting list

Well to be fair young teens ARE a different ball game for both medical and developmental purposes.

We have looked into going private (again this is for ADHD) and we found 3 or 4 clinics within an hour or two of us that would see us.

We have now had approval for funding for an assessment through the Adoption Support Fund but it's with one of the clinics we'd already found. Took ages for that but we were going to go private if we didn't get that.

I just googled "private ADHD assessment".

Lack of doctors. You'd be looking at week over a year for a neuro referral here as there just aren't the staff.

Neuro isn't the only speciality suffering.

This is what happens when a govt doesn't prioritise it's staff to the extent that the doctors, etc are striking over pay and conditions. People leave, they go abroad, they seek alternative careers. People are put off going to medical school so it will get worse. Brexit probably hasn't helped.

Patients suffer.

For the adhd diagnosis I paid privately for a qb year and then took the results to our pead who then, after a few forms for me and school, used that to diagnose. Best £90 spent ever

Have you been told specifically that a private assessment won't be accepted? I wrote EHCPs for several years, and we accepted them. Obviously may differ borough to borough, so apologies if you have double checked, but if not, can't hurt to ask?

The wait for an ASD assessment has reached 2 years in our area now. Children who need psychotherapy are having to wait over a year. They simply don't have enough staff to cope with the level of demand.

It's ridiculous. My 7 year old finally got his grommets operation done last week, 3 years after I said to the paediatrician that I was concerned about his hearing. My eldest was referred to the hospital after his 3 year check with the HV because of asd concerns. He was diagnosed aged 9. I raised concerns about my youngest when he was 4 months old. 4 years later he has had 1 appointment with the community paediatrician and still waiting for the 2nd one. Meanwhile we have no support.

arethereanyleftatall...i assume that was aimed at me. Thank you for letting me know there is absolutely nothing wrong with my child and I'm just dissapointed in his progress (it was the school who referred for ASD and OT assessment BTW). If you would prefer to believe I just want my child to have difficulties then crack on.

One of mine waited five years (from toddler to nearly KS2) for autism assessment at CAMHS.

DS1 received his ADHD diagnosis 6 months after the initial assessments he had waited a year for. He now has a completely unknown wait to see a psychiatrist because CAMHS in our area only has 1!!!

My son first got referred by my GP when in Year 6... now year 9 and we got a ADHD diagnosis in August. Every thing to do with it is a nightmare, med reviews are every 12 months with the consultant admitting they should see kids every 3 months but they just can't cope. My son recently needed his meds increased and it took me two weeks of trying to get someone to listen that could help. It's taken 3 days this week to get a repeat prescription. That's not just waiting for it either they refused it as the dosage was wrong, hadn't received consultants letter, I have had to take my letter their twice and was then given a script for the WRONG meds...

We can't see an Ed Psych until after Easter due to budget cuts, the school support is really poor to non-existant again due to budgets. The whole thing is a waiting game.

9 months is pretty good going but you are not being unreasonable in thinking that it isn't fair.

48 months here, but anything over 6 months is unacceptable.
Because of the delays, our LEA will now accept private diagnoses.
Can you ask for an emergency review of your child’s EHCP if it’s not working?

Eh @FlyingGoose? Why on earth would you think that was aimed at you? How odd. I don't know you. It was a general comment.

I was the only poster who had me tioned OT. Sorry if I misunderstood.

I went onto the Cahms waiting list for my teen but ended up going private as she was desperate and close to an exclusion due to disruption ( talking , shouting out ) and I knew it was something .

I'm not sure words like disgrace/appalling are the correct words here.

From an unemotive/practical perspective; the level of financial support required is increasing. The number of people/children who need extra support is increasing. Anecdotally, there is at least one child in every classroom I know who needs additional support. They need a 121, plus the teacher, plus the TA. That's 3 salaries. Compared to the one salary of 30 years ago. Where should the money come from to pay for all this?

I'm not sure words like disgrace/appalling are the correct words here

LOL!
Try being the parent of a kid who needs support, that's needs, not would like and see how unemotive that makes you when you live with it 24/7

Oh I can imagine it's incredibly hard, sorry if that wasn't clear.
But, it needs to be paid for.

And lack of investment in early intervention and support creates a whole host of other problems, meaning the cost of support and treatment massively increases.

From an unemotive/practical perspective; the level of financial support required is increasing. The number of people/children who need extra support is increasing. Anecdotally, there is at least one child in every classroom I know who needs additional support. They need a 121, plus the teacher, plus the TA. That's 3 salaries. Compared to the one salary of 30 years ago. Where should the money come from to pay for all this?

Most DC with diagnosed SN don't need anything like 1to1 classroom support. Most of them need far cheaper (or even free) interventions and adjustments that are ridiculously hard to secure without a diagnosis.

Im not sure what you mean by “financial support” but assuming you mean welfare benefits, a minority of children with SN have awards of those, either, and rates vary hugely where awards are made.

So youre frothing weirdly about a much smaller expense than you imagine.

But leaving children’s special needs unmet isnt really an option to civilised minds anyway.

I would have been over the moon for 9 months, as it is we are into 5 years since first approaching for help, year 11 and still waiting with a child who has the intelligence bit due to circumstances is likely to leave a selective school without a single gcse.

We went private twice whilst keeping our dc on the nhs waiting list. Best £900 a pop we spent.