Too little & too late for our backlog kids

HUGE NHS INVESTMENT NEEDED FOR CHANGE

- BY JENNIFER HYLAND

EXPERTS warned it will take four years to clear a 42,000 NHS backlog of children awaiting neurodiversity assessments with a recent funding pledge only likely to help a tiny fraction.

The Scottish Government claims it is "committed to improving timely access to support" and promised an additional £500,000 this year.

But we can reveal that with assessments for conditions like ADHD and autism costing around £800 per child, the injection will help just 625 children to be seen sooner.

The Scottish Children's Services Coalition, an alliance of leading providers of specialist care and education, said: "We hear every day from families who've been waiting months or even years for an assessment because NHS waiting lists have become unmanageable.