Hi, yes the recent West Yorkshire. update has been a shock for many, and I’m so sorry you’ve been impacted too. While I can’t say for certain what each provider’s agreement with West Yorkshire is, the updates seem to point to the two years starting from the GP referral date.
Here is the sign-up link for the ADHD UK ‘Drop in Advice Clinic’ with Henry Shelford, which is based online once a week. This could be helpful as things progress, if you have specific questions which aren’t answered in the other channels:
I’ve also included below part of my reply to another similar thread recently, with information I hope will help:
WY Integrated Care Board (ICB) have recently imposed a new 2 year waiting time for assessments. (with priority need cases having shorter wait times).
From WY ICB:
"NHS West Yorkshire Integrated Care Board (WYICB) has agreed a minimum waiting time for all autism and ADHD assessments for patients under the care of independent providers. This minimum waiting time is currently two years from the date of referral.
This means that all patients choosing an independent provider will wait at least this long prior to having an assessment. For some patients this means they will wait longer than they originally expected, and for some patients they will wait less time. The goal is for all patients to wait about the same length of time before their assessment"
Link: https://www.wypartnership.co.uk/our-priorities/mental-health-learning-disability-and-autism/neurodiversity/right-to-choose/frequently-asked-questions-faqs-activity-plan
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West Yorkshire FAQ page:
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https://www.wypartnership.co.uk/our-priorities/mental-health-learning-disability-and-autism/neurodiversity/right-to-choose/frequently-asked-questions-faqs-activity-plan**
Excerpt from the Guardian article released a few days ago:**
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.
In a legal letter to West Yorkshire NHS integrated care board (ICB), seen by the Guardian, the charity alleges that the decision to force patients to wait at least two years for such assessments was unlawful and says it will seek a judicial review if the board fails to reverse the policy.
West Yorkshire ICB introduced the two-year minimum wait this year, affecting thousands of people with possible ADHD or autism in Leeds, Bradford, Kirklees, Calderdale and Wakefield.
West Yorkshire is not the only ICB to ration access to assessment for neurodiversity. The Guardian revealed last week that it was one of four – alongside Devon, Somerset, and North East and North Cumbria – to have imposed minimum waits amid spiralling costs due to the volume of assessments being sought. A further 11 have introduced other mechanisms to ration the number of assessments.
ADHD UK claims West Yorkshire failed to follow correct procedures, alleging the ICB breached equalities legislation, denied patients their legal right to choose non-NHS care, failed to involve patients, carers or the public in the decision, and that the decision ran counter to NHS contract regulations.
Henry Shelford, the chief executive of ADHD UK, said: “We have sent formal notice warning West Yorkshire that we are prepared to go to court unless it scraps that rule. We believe locking patients out of NHS choice is illegal because it breaches patients’ legal right to choose where they receive NHS care.
Full Article: Charity threatens legal action over two-year NHS wait for ADHD and autism assessments | NHS | The Guardian .
Hopefully you can get more responses via the ADHD UK support groups and live events:
(ICB complaints process if ever required):
WY ICB complaints guidance including contact for the Patient Advice and Liason Service: Comments, concerns and complaints :: West Yorkshire Health & Care Partnership
If I come across further updates, I will add them to this thread, and feel free to do the same if you would like to. This is an incredibly difficult situation for you and others, and I hope that you’re able to feel supported via the links above as well as hopefully other pathways/ changes that are made available at some point in the future.