More than 50 children have now been assessed for autism, as health bosses work to clear the 480-strong backlog on the Isle of Wight.
An update on the state of the service will be given to Isle of Wight councillors by Angela Murphy, from the Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), this Thursday.
Lengthy waiting lists
Lengthy delays on the Island mean hundreds of children have been left languishing on waiting lists for over two years.
Previous provider, the Autism Diagnostic Research Centre in Portsmouth, closed to referrals in October 2017.
This August, the CCG secured an interim service with provider Psicon Ltd, which has so far assessed 50 children.
Online programme to be piloted
A pilot with Helios Ltd has also been commissioned to assess 50 children using an online programme.
The online service will also be offered to those who have reached their 18th birthday while waiting for an assessment.
CCG: Recognises “unacceptable delays”
A report, due to be seen by the Isle of Wight Council’s policy and scrutiny committee for children’s services, says:
“The CCG recognises there has been a gap in service which has led to unacceptable delays in children receiving an autism assessment. We have apologised to families and are pleased we are now in position to commence this new service to clear the backlog.
“Clinics commenced from Saturday, September 8 and already feedback received from parents has been hugely positive, rating Psicon Ltd ten out ten for the service provided.”
The CCG report said it had also held an open day and established an autism Facebook page, with 200 members, for parents to clarify rumours and myths about services available to children on the Island.
Image: Jesper Sehested under CC BY 2.0
