Right now, 28,000 children in Scotland are on waiting lists for ADHD and Autism assessments — with some waiting more than four years. These are years when children fall behind academically, struggle socially, and families are left without the support they desperately need.
At the same time, Scotland has multiple Healthcare Improvement Scotland (HIS)–regulated services, and across the UK we have CQC-regulated services, fully trained and ready to help assess and support children and young people. These services are safe, audited, clinically governed, and follow national NICE guidance. They are not “alternative” or “second-tier” — they are an established part of healthcare.
So why are they not being utilised?
The current model, where ADHD and Autism assessments sit almost entirely within NHS teams, simply cannot meet today’s level of demand. This structure made sense decades ago, but it is not sustainable now. NHS teams work incredibly hard, but the volume of referrals has grown far beyond what any single system can manage alone.
Independent providers are not temporary or peripheral. We are here, we are regulated, and we consistently deliver high-quality ADHD and Autism assessment and support. We are part of the healthcare landscape — and we are not going anywhere.
Scotland already uses joint NHS–independent pathways for cataract surgery, orthopaedics, diagnostics and mental health support. There is no reason neurodevelopmental care should be treated differently.
Structured partnerships with HIS-regulated services could:
- Reduce waiting times dramatically
- Allow earlier identification and intervention
- Prevent decline in children’s mental health
- Ease pressure on CAMHS and paediatrics
- Improve outcomes for families
This is not about replacing NHS services — it is about supporting them. The time for restricting collaborative working is over. The demand is too high, the stakes too great, and the solutions too readily available to ignore.
Scotland has the workforce, the expertise and the regulation.
What we now need is the willingness to collaborate.
28,000 children cannot continue to wait.
Partnership is no longer optional — it is essential.
