Wallsend Woman hits out on 18-month wait for NHS Autism diagnosis
Written by Chloe Gudgin on 16th May 2022
The coronavirus pandemic has seen NHS waiting lists lengthened by 18 months for those who are seeking an Autism diagnosis across the North East for the first half of the assessment.
Charlotte Appleby from Wallsend was forced to seek a private diagnosis for Autism, after learning from her GP that she would have to wait two years to be able to see a specialist.
The 22-year-old said: “My doctor’s appointment lasted for four minutes, which left with him saying he wasn’t sure I had autism but he would put me on the list anyway, so from that moment, I didn’t have high hopes. The NHS needs to hire more specialists to complete the diagnosis, which will help get through the waiting list quicker instead; of those waiting two years for an appointment.”
