AQW 26115/22-27

Mrs Michelle Guy
Alliance Party
Lagan Valley

Tabled Date: 11/04/2025
Answered On Date: 30/04/2025
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister of Health to detail the current waiting time for children's autism assessments, broken down by Health and Social Care Trust.

Answer:

As part of the Encompass roll-out, the South Eastern, Belfast and Northern Trusts have now gone live with a new electronic patient record system and their data is undergoing extensive validation. There is no validated information available from these Trusts at this time.

SHSCT at 31/12/2024 there were 1,598 children awaiting an ASD assessment and

WHSCT at 31/12/2024 there were 2,369 children awaiting an ASD assessment

Waiting lists for autism assessment remain a challenge. The Department acknowledges that this is not acceptable and can have a profound impact on mental health.

Department officials are working with colleagues from the Public Health Agency and Child Health to develop a regionally consistent and defined neurodevelopmental pathway for children and young people that complies with NICE guidelines.