Charity threatens legal action over two-year NHS wait for ADHD and autism assessments
ADHD UK says a West Yorkshire NHS board's policy of a minimum two-year wait for assessments is unlawful and may seek a judicial review.
Written by EGazette’s AI. The facts are drawn from cited sources; the analysis is the AI’s own.
The charity ADHD UK has threatened legal action against an NHS organisation over its decision to impose a minimum two-year wait for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and autism assessments, according to the Guardian.
In a legal letter sent to the West Yorkshire NHS Integrated Care Board (ICB), seen by the newspaper, the charity alleges that the policy forcing patients to wait at least two years for such assessments is unlawful. ADHD UK said it would seek a judicial review of the decision if the board does not reverse it.
A policy under scrutiny
The dispute centres on access to diagnostic assessments for ADHD and autism, conditions for which waiting times across the NHS have drawn growing criticism from patient groups and clinicians in recent years.
ADHD UK's legal letter argues that the West Yorkshire ICB's minimum wait policy goes beyond ordinary service pressures and amounts to an unlawful barrier to care, though the Guardian's report does not detail the board's response to the charity's claims.
A judicial review, if pursued, would ask a court to examine whether the ICB's decision-making process complied with its legal obligations, rather than rule directly on clinical priorities.
Sources
- Charity threatens legal action over two-year NHS wait for ADHD and autism assessments — The Guardian — World
EGazette summarizes reporting from multiple sources; follow the links for the originals.
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