Autism assessment waiting list in Cheshire and Merseyside, June 2026
14,160 people in Cheshire and Merseyside had an open autism assessment referral in June 2026, and 1% of those waiting over 13 weeks had a first appointment within 13 weeks (NHS England). Children: 4,235. Adults: 9,925.
In crisis now: NHS 111 (option 2 for mental health) or 999.
Last 12 months
| Month | Waiting | Seen within 13 weeks | Referred that month |
|---|---|---|---|
| 14,160 | 1% | 910 | |
| 13,885 | 1% | 750 | |
| 13,730 | 1% | 825 | |
| 15,590 | 2% | 750 | |
| 15,140 | 2% | 715 | |
| 13,430 | 1% | 745 | |
| 12,755 | 1% | 690 | |
| 12,475 | 1% | 765 | |
| 12,760 | 1% | 700 | |
| 12,325 | 1% | 760 | |
| 12,020 | 1% | 645 | |
| 12,110 | 1% | 985 |
- These figures undercount children: many children are assessed by community paediatric services that do not report to this dataset, and some providers miss a month's submission.
Providers here
- Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust: 5,940 waiting, 0% seen within 13 weeks.
- Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS Foundation Trust: 2,680 waiting, 1% seen within 13 weeks.
- HCRG Care Ltd: 2,020 waiting, 0% seen within 13 weeks.
- Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust: 1,935 waiting, 1% seen within 13 weeks.
- Alder Hey Children'S NHS Foundation Trust: 95 waiting, 57% seen within 13 weeks.
- Neurodiversity Assessment Ltd: 65 waiting.
- Optimise Healthcare Group: 20 waiting.
- Cafe 71: Not published waiting.
- Halton Ehwb: Not published waiting.
- Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust: Not published waiting.
- Companeros: Not published waiting.
Right to choose here
Right to choose in Cheshire and Merseyside: open with local conditions (checked 19 October 2026). Board says it will buy fewer adult ADHD assessments in 2026/27 than in 2025/26; clinical commissioning policy (December 2025) limits referrals for formal assessment to where needs cannot be met without a diagnosis. The main NHS adult service (CWP) is temporarily closed to new referrals, with exceptions. The legal right applies everywhere in England; local conditions vary. Source.
What to ask your GP
- Which service the referral goes to, and its current wait.
- Whether you can use right to choose for a provider with an NHS contract, and what the local conditions are.
- Whether the practice agrees shared care for medication after a diagnosis (if a GP refuses shared care).
- Which route applies (adult and child routes).
Latest quarterly: NHS England, . Data checked .