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IT’S A POSTCODE LOTTERY FOR AUTISM AND ADHD SERVICES, SAYS JACKIE BAILLIE

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By Bill Heaney

Adult autism and ADHD services have been “effectively privatised” in parts of Scotland, Scottish Labour has said as Health Boards close waiting lists.

A Freedom of Information request has revealed wildly inconsistent provision of adult ADHD and autism services.

In huge parts of Scotland, adults seeking autism or ADHD diagnoses on the NHS simply cannot get one.

NHS Ayrshire and Arran has confirmed that it is “unable to facilitate referrals for standalone neurodevelopmental assessments” for adults.

NHS Grampian said that waiting lists in Aberdeenshire would be closed from March 2025, while patients in Moray could only seek an ADHD diagnosis if they have a co-existing mental illness.

Similarly, patients in Tayside must meet the criteria for community mental health services in order to receive an assessment for ADHD.

NHS Orkney stated that although a pathway remains in place, “diagnostic appointments, unfortunately, required to be cancelled for March 2025”.

These revelations follow the SNP government’s controversial decision to remove children seeking ADHD and autism diagnoses from CAMHS waiting lists, which sparked concerns from parents that their children are being “lost in the system”.

Scottish Labour said the loss of these services is another example of how Scotland’s NHS is no longer free and available at the point of need under the SNP.

Scottish Labour Health spokesperson Jackie Baillie said “It is a disgrace that a random postcode lottery is dictating who can get assessed for autism and ADHD.

“For huge parts of the country the SNP has effectively privatised ADHD and autism support.

“The truth is Scotland’s NHS is no longer free and available at the point of need for too many Scots.“The SNP has torched the founding principles of our NHS and it is failing both children and adults with ADHD and autism.

“A Scottish Labour government will fix the mess the SNP has made of our NHS and ensure people with autism and ADHD can get the support they need.”

Health Board positions on the availability of a pathway for diagnosis of adult autism and ADHD and what the referral criteria is:

Orkney

A pathway remains in place for the diagnosis of autism and ADHD in Orkney. Diagnostic appointments, unfortunately, required to be cancelled for March 2025. Referrals have not been paused and continue to be received for processing.

Tayside

Adults seeking assessment for ADHD (which may or may not lead to a diagnosis of
ADHD) are referred to Community Mental Health Teams (CMHTs). As such, individuals
must meet criteria for those services. There is no diagnosis specific pathway for ADHD.

Within Dundee, the criteria for referral to a CMHT are as follows:
” … any individual over the age of 16 (and not in full-time education) experiencing mental
health problems where these are of a severity, complexity or duration that require a multidisciplinary approach to assessment and management. This may include those with:
· Severe and persistent mental disorders with significant effects on day-to-day functioning.
· Long term disorders which require care and treatment that require a level of support and
expertise that cannot be delivered by the primary care team alone.
· Disorders where there is also a significant risk of self-harm, harm to others or risk of
suicide.”
An adult seeking assessment for ADHD will need to fulfil those criteria for the CMHT to
accept a referral.

Grampian

Aberdeen City
ADHD – Yes, we continue to have an available pathway for ADHD diagnosis for adults in
Aberdeen City.
Autism – Yes, we continue to have an available pathway for adults for autism diagnosis,
however, Aberdeenshire HSCP have withdrawn from the former Grampian-wide Adult
Autism Assessment Team service effective March 2025. This existing pathway therefore
continues for patients in Aberdeen City and Moray only.
Aberdeenshire
ADHD and Autism – Yes we still have an available pathway, but we will be closing our
waiting list on the 31 March 2025.
Moray
For ADHD, referrals come via GP. We currently have no resource to deliver an ADHD
assessment service but anyone referred by their GP with a co-existing mental illness will
be assessed via out-patient review, the  remaining referrals are added to an assessment
waiting list until the position changes.

Ayrshire and Arran

At present, there is no dedicated specialist neurodevelopmental diagnostic service within
adult mental health services, and therefore we are unable to facilitate referrals for standalone
neurodevelopmental assessments.

Highland

NHS Highland does not currently have a documented ADHD criteria for referral.
However, we are following the National Autism Implementation Team (NAIT) tiered
approach and GP colleagues have sight of this.

Source: FOIs lodged March 2025, available on request.

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