To be absolutely gutted?

[KiteMarked]

I suspect my DD (age 5) is on the ASD spectrum. We've been waiting for an appointment with the community developmental paediatric team for months now - it was due to happen this past week. The day before the appointment, I received a phone call to say it had to be cancelled.

I've now received a new appointment - in six months' time!

I understand waiting lists are long, but can someone please explain why we've been pushed back six months?

I'm really upset - by the time we even start the assessment process, we'll have been waiting a year.

12-18 months is about the average wait time to be seen for assessment in the SE OP (it could be same nationwide). YANBU to be gutted
Lack of funding and staff shortage is most likely why. We waited 8 months to be assessed and the only reason we got that appointment was a short notice cancellation and the fact i happened to ring half an hour after the appointment had been cancelled to check on progress

Thanks for putting into perspective.

I know my expectations were probably too high, but I had been really hoping for some help/reassurance/more info. Back to waiting.

That is totally gutting

We paid in the end as we realised that we would have to wait until he was SEVEN to get a multi disciplinary assessment where we live, he was three at the time. It was extremely expensive however.

Op by all means call them and ask why appointment has been put back. Could be that the person your DC was going to see was due to go on mat leave and baby has come early?

Maybe if you can, let them know you'd be willing to accept a short notice appointment? DH and I lived/worked very close to clinic so it was no hassle for us to take DS out of school (our employers were also very supportive of the appointment) and attend.

YANBU to be gutted OP from referral to diagnosis took us 13 months for our DS and I count my lucky stars it was that quick. I wouldn't jump to go private for a diagnosis as I've heard the NHS still need to give their own to access therapies/EHCP etc. Does your DD have support at school?

I've worked in the NHS and usually when appointments are cancelled you get given the next available appointment, with waiting lists being the way they are then it's feasible that the next available is six months from now. Doesn't make it any less shit though. When DS has his he was referred in January but wasn't seen until the end of October.

You could call them and ask if they have anything sooner, if you're able to take a short notice appointment/cancellation appointment let them know.

It's horrendous and I really feel for you OP. I don't suppose it helps that you are not alone, but you really aren't. The system is so weighed down that it's almost broken. It's so wrong our children have to wait so long.

At one of our appointments we were told they planned to go ahead with an ADOS within 6 weeks. 14 months later it happened!

We have been 2.5 years in with the 2nd DC to go through it and still have no conclusion.

Here they have a duty to families being seen within 18 weeks or they get fined, contact PALS

The list change depending on the children who need assessments first - those self harming, danger to themselves or others, if they get an urgent request you are bumped down the list

We waited 18 months for an assessment- and even then we only finally got seen after phoning them every 2 weeks for the last 4 months asking when DC would be assessed.

It took 5 months for the report after assessment.

It is an awful service due, I’m guessing, to serious underfunding.

Ignore me, I re read your post. It was CAMHS we had to see. No paediatric involvement at all.

Our referral was refused twice, DS (8) was refusing school and so anxious he was not sleeping and feeling sick. We sold my car in the end to pay for a private assessment, we still have to go through the NHS system though... hopefully now they will give him an appointment

Rang yesterday for my son's first appt with the paeds. Mid January!