Children waiting over 1,000 days for neurodevelopment assessment

28 Apr 2026

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton has today revealed that the average wait for children seeking a neurodevelopment assessment is more than 500 days in most Scottish health boards.

A Scottish Liberal Democrat freedom of information request uncovered that:

Of the 12 health boards which provided the data, there are 46,028 children currently waiting for a neurodevelopment assessment across Scotland.
Of the 10 health boards which provided the data, the average waiting time for an assessment is more than 500 days in most boards, including an average wait of 1,148 days in NHS Tayside.
Of the same boards, the lowest average waiting time is 238 days in NHS Borders.
The longest waiting times for a child neurodevelopment assessment is 2,428 days in NHS Highland and 2,181 in NHS Lanarkshire.
The current expected wait for new referrals is 1,430 days in NHS Dumfries & Galloway, 1,365 days in NHS Lanarkshire and 1,213 days in NHS Ayrshire & Arran.

The party has led a debate in the Scottish Parliament demanding new treatment pathways for neurodiversity.

Scottish Liberal Democrats have set out their manifesto plans to:

Publish waiting times figures to increase accountability and end long waits for diagnosis and care. 
Work with NHS Scotland and GPs to establish a protocol for shared care for ADHD diagnoses. 
Establish national standards for assessments for neurodevelopment conditions. 
Create a neurodiversity pathway for adults, replacing referral into general adult mental health pathways.  
Hire more pupil support assistants to help children with neurodevelopmental conditions. 
Produce national guidelines on working conditions and reasonable adjustments for schools, higher education institutes and employers that can be applied without a formal neurodivergence diagnosis.  
Provide additional support and advice to employers on neurodiversity in the workplace, helping economically inactive people into work and ensuring our economy gets the benefits of their talents.

Alex Cole-Hamilton said:

“Children with conditions like autism and ADHD are waiting intolerably long for treatment. They are stuck in a system that is completely broken and it’s holding them back in life.

“The SNP government should have seen this coming. Everyone knows that the pandemic was extremely harmful for children. It led to a spike in neurodevelopment challenges, which the SNP have completely failed to meet.

“Children, parents and families all deserve better.

“From delivering on shared care arrangements to increasing accountability of waiting times, Scottish Liberal Democrats are putting forward a plan that will end these horrific waits and deliver high-quality support.

“Scotland deserves to be a country where we benefit from the diverse talents of everyone, no matter their background.

“At this election, you can vote to make our plans a reality by electing Scottish Liberal Democrats who will get stuff done on your second, peach, regional ballot paper.”