22 July 2023

Please have a look at @yorkdrf and join their challenge against the York ICB’s action.

Neurodivergent individuals are already marginalised and disadvantaged in society, we don’t need to be denied access to assessment and diagnosis in addition to everything else we face.

If you’re not sure why we need assessment and diagnosis, consider this:

Despite the Equality Act 2010 stating that diagnosis is not required to access reasonable adjustments: the reality is that most schools, universities and employers require medical evidence (aka diagnosis) in order to provide reasonable adjustments. The government themselves require medical evidence for Personal Independence Payment assessments and payments.

If we are denied access to assessment and diagnosis, we will also be denied access to reasonable adjustments across so many different settings Many people with ADHD are unable to work full time and therefore need access to Personal Independence Payments. PiP is already very difficult to get, it will be impossible without assessment and diagnois..

Another huge impact to consider is that ADHD is quite receptive to ADHD medication. Those medications can be life saving for some ADHD individuals.

IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO ACCESS ADHD MEDICATION WITHOUT DIAGNOSIS.

The implications of this action by York ICB is that vulnerable individuals could die. That’s the bottom line. Some people will end up dying if they are denied access to assessment and diagnosis. That’s not an exaggeration on my part, it’s a fact. A study by Cambridge University published in 2022 found that 15% of those who were hospitalised for attempted suicide had a diagnosis of autism. They also investigated 372 cases where people had died of suicide Of those cases, 10% were determined to very likely be people with undiagnosed autism.

This action by the York ICB is reckless and dangerous.