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October 2023
Yorkshire Post: “Disability charity welcomes NHS engagement on ‘unlawful’ ADHD and autism assessment scheme” (21/10/23) [Please note: YDRF is not a charity, it is a constituted community organisation.
September 2023
York Press: “York campaigners take legal action against NHS over autism referrals” (29/09/23)
BBC Radio York 27/09/23 5:10pm
BBC Look North 27/09/2023 (Catch it on iPlayer here)
Legal Letter Press Release **IMMEDIATE RELEASE** 20/09/2023
August 2023 – HealthWatch report
Healthwatch York released their report evaluating the pilot on the 3rd August 2023. You can read the report here.
YDRF responded to the report in a press release alongside an update of how the CrowdFunder for legal challenge is progressing. You can read the press release here.
The Healthwatch report and our comments were published in an article in the York Press on 11/08/2023.
July 2023
York Press “York campaigners plan legal fight against lack of autism assessments” 20/07/2023
York Press “‘I had been branded as useless, lazy, awkward’ – York woman Hazel” 20/07/2023
That’s TV York “Legal action is essentially our last resort” 28/07/2023 (Clip on Twitter)
Press Release and Case Studies **IMMEDIATE RELEASE** (20/07/2023)
April 2023
Response from Researchers at the Institute for Social Justice at York St John University (25/04/23)
“The undersigned suggest that the current diagnostic process needs to be urgently readdressed to ensure that changes do not have a negative impact on vulnerable individuals. Specifically, further consultation must include key stakeholders and full engagement with research evidence highlighted above”
Genius Within CIC statement on LinkedIn about the current trial by the North Yorkshire and York Health and Care Partnerships (13/04/23)
“We know that waiting until people hit a crisis before help is offered, is an incredibly harmful, and potentially dangerous strategy. For ADHD and Autistic people to thrive we need to be opening up more diagnostic routes, not closing them down”
Post by Elizabeth Smith MBACP (Accred) questioning the role of the Do It Profiler CEO Prof. Amanda Kirby in the gatekeeping of autism and ADHD assessments in York and North Yorkshire (06/04/23)
“I have enormous respect for Prof Kirby and her achievements and as such, I cannot stand by while a CEO who has been a great advocate for the neurodivergent community publicly endorses measures like universal and unrestricted access to clinical assessment, while privately benefiting from work that undermines these aims and may put neurodivergent people at risk.”
Twitter thread by @Free2BMeTherapy (06/04/23)
Free2BMe Open Letter to NHS England, Humber and North Yorkshire Integrated Care Board, and the Rt Hon Steve Barclay, Minister for Health (02/04/23)
York Press coverage of this issue (01/04/23)
Please note: the Press has not been in touch with YDRF. The quotes they use are taken from the blog post above.
The Do It Profiler Experience
One of our members completed the Do It Profiler and live tweeted and blogged the experience
First tweet reads: I am sure many will have heard about the new requirements to get an autism/ADHD assessment in York (& N Yorkshire)
Through what I can only describe as a clerical error I have ended up with access to the do-it profiler so welcome to my live tweet of it 😛
March 2023
What Have the Decision Makers Said?
Posted two days after the introduction of the pilot, North Yorkshire CCG informed its patients of the changes (29/03/23).
One day later and three days after it was introduced, Vale of York CCG posted exactly the same article to inform patients of the changes (30/03/23).
Issues Elsewhere
Sadly, a similar refusal to assess for autism is happening to children in Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire. Read about it in this Guardian article (26/03/23) and this excellent info graphic from Bristol Parent Carer Forum. UPDATE: The group Assess for Autism crowd funded for legal action and sent a letter before action to the ICB. We send our congratulations to the group, as the ICB have reversed the decision following receipt of the letter.
Portsmouth City Council introduced The ND Profiling Tool in April 2022 for children and young people. It is completed with a trained professional and helps identify strategies. The profiling tool must be completed before clinical assessment is considered, but there is no suggestion that an assessment would be refused. It acknowledges that the current waiting list is long at 18+ months.