Warning over cuts to autism and ADHD tests in Aberdeenshire

Adult autism and ADHD assessments in Aberdeenshire face being halted despite a council report suggesting the move would come with a “significant risk”.

Council officers will recommend the £200,000 cut at a meeting on Wednesday due to a lack of Scottish government funding.

Members of the Integration Joint Board (IJB) – the body which runs health and social care services in the region – are looking to make £17m in savings in the 2025/26 budget.

Social Care Minister Maree Todd said it was “disappointing” that local areas were considering cuts to services.

Almost 2,000 people are waiting for ADHD and autism assessments in Aberdeenshire.

Temporary Scottish government funding has allowed the service to run for the past four years. Officers anticipated this funding would continue but say this has not happened.

The report to go before the IJB found cutting the provision will bring “significant risk” as it leave people with “limited other options.”

It also anticipates that the move will lead to complaints.

A future revisiting of the service provision was not ruled out in the report, if funding could be secured.

Marion McLaughlin, from Aberdeen, runs a consultancy which trains companies in improving practices and understanding of autism in the workplace.

She has set up a petition against the changes and was the only person with autism on the council’s workgroup which first brought the assessments to Aberdeenshire.

She said: “The cuts would be shockingly ill-informed.

“We are dismayed that the integrated impact assessment does not fully reflect the full destructive impact this will have on our community.

“I think the council do not understand the negative effects this will have on the lives of people with autism.”

The charity Scottish Autism has called on the local health and social care partnership to reject the proposals.

The charity’s Joe Long said support for neurodivergent adults is “highly inconsistent across Scotland.”

“It may mean that people are forced to seek private assessment if they are able to afford it, or may be directed to mental health services by health professionals instead,” he said.

“None of this will be beneficial to people seeking a diagnosis, or to the wider health and social care system.”

Last month the Scottish government said there had been a “significant increase in referrals” for autism diagnosis, which was putting pressure on an already-stretched NHS.

GPs say they are not unwilling to refer patients who would benefit from support – but that the criteria for referrals was very strict.

Dr Chris Williams, vice chair of the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) Scotland, previously said it would be helpful if the public was better informed about this criteria – and how there is no treatment or ‘cure’ for autism, which is not an illness.

Asked about the situation in Aberdeenshire, Maree Todd said it was disappointing that local areas were considering “completely withdrawing” neurodevelopmental services.

She said: “The Scottish government provided £400,000 to establish the service in Aberdeenshire between 2019-21. If approved by the Scottish Parliament, the 2025-26 Budget will provide a record £21.7bn for health and social care next year.

“This includes £16.2bn for health boards – a 3% cash uplift and real terms increase on their baseline funding. It will also deliver record funding of over £15bn for local authorities, a further 4.7% real terms increase.”

Speaking about autism support more broadly, she said: “Formal diagnosis is not required to access the support provided, and we know that 78% of autistic adults supported have reported improved wellbeing as a result.”

Other cuts to be discussed at the meeting include a 70% reduction to the in-house Care at Home Service, which could lead to staff being made redundant.