Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many patients are currently on waiting lists for specialist assessment for Autism Spectrum Disorder.

NHS England publishes quarterly Autism Waiting Time Statistics, which is available at the following link:

https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/autism-statistics

In December 2025, there were an estimated 254,108 people with an open referral for suspected autism in England. These are statistics in development and do not yet represent a complete picture of waiting times for autism assessments in England. Work to determine which provider organisations should be submitting data for autistic people is ongoing.

The Government has recognised that, nationally, demand for assessments for autism has grown significantly in recent years and that people are experiencing severe delays for accessing such assessments. The Government’s 10-Year Health Plan will make the National Health Service fit for the future, and reforms to the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities focus will improve early intervention and support.

It is the responsibility of integrated care boards (ICBs) in England to make appropriate provision to meet the health and care needs of their local population, including providing access to autism assessments, in line with relevant National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines.

The Medium-Term Planning Framework, published 24 October, was explicit that ICBs and providers are expected to optimise existing resources to reduce long waits for autism assessments and improve the quality of assessments by implementing existing and new guidance, as published. In April 2023, NHS England published a national framework and operational guidance for autism assessment services, which is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/autism-diagnosis-and-operational-guidance/

This guidance intends to help the NHS improve their autism assessment services and improve the experience for those referred to a service. More broadly, in December 2025, my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, launched the independent review into the prevalence and support for mental health conditions, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and autism.

The review’s interim report, published at the end of March, sets out the evidence reviewed so far on prevalence, describes the impact of rising demand for diagnosis and support, identifies where the evidence is uncertain, and outlines the key questions for the next phase. It does not offer final conclusions or recommendations.

The final report, due in the summer, will make recommendations on how the Government, the health system, and wider public services can respond to increasing demand for support more fairly and effectively so that people receive the right support, at the right time, in the right place.