As a result of questioning from Joel James MS, Welsh Conservative Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Children and Early Years, during the Children, Young People and Education Committee, the Labour Government’s Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing, Sarah Murphy, has admitted that waiting lists for children seeking autism and ADHD assessments could nearly triple by 2027, with up to 61,000 people expected to be waiting for assessments, compared to 20,770 in September 2024. This represents an alarming increase of over 400% since 2021, when just 4,100 children were on the waiting list.
The Labour Government has allocated £3m in one-off funding to address the backlog, but the Welsh Conservatives argue this is insufficient and fails to address the root causes of the crisis.
Welsh Conservative Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Children and Early Years, Joel James MS, said:
“This is a devastating admission from Labour, who have allowed waiting lists to spiral out of control. Families across Wales are already struggling with long waiting lists and the prospect of delays tripling over the next two years is simply unacceptable.
“While additional funding is welcome, families need long-term, sustainable solutions—not stop-gap measures, this one-off payment indicates that Labour are not serious about a long-term plan to tackle the issue they have allowed to worsen over the past 26 years of their mismanagement.
“These numbers are unsustainable, with some children already at risk of leaving the school system before they are even diagnosed. This isn’t just a failure of process; it’s a failure of responsibility to some of our most vulnerable young people.”
