Almost 1,000 children in east and north Hertfordshire have been waiting for two years or longer to see a community paediatrician, according to the latest available data.

Children are referred to community paediatricians if they are suspected of having conditions and disorders that include autism, dyspraxia and ADHD, as well as developmental disorders, learning difficulties and neurodisability.

Once referred, children and young people should be seen by a paediatrician within 18 weeks.

However, data reported to the latest meeting of the East and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust reveals that at the end of September there were 988 children who had been waiting for 104 weeks or longer.

According to the data, 2,288 children and young people had been waiting for at least 78 weeks – and a further of 701 who had been waiting for 65 weeks or longer.

The longest waiting time to see a community paediatrician at the trust was reported to be 127 weeks.

Overall, the Local Democracy Reporting Service understands there are around 6,000 children and young people waiting to see a community paediatrician at the trust.

The increasing numbers are said to have been driven by referrals related to neurodiversity.

However, those suspected of having ASD or ADHD will face a further wait for a follow-up at the Trust, even after they have seen a community paediatrician.

At the trust, those children who are suspected of having autism and ADHD after an initial appointment with a community paediatrician are then referred on to a further waiting list.

They will – the LDRS understands – wait around 117 weeks for a first appointment with a paediatrician.

Then they face a wait of around 45 weeks for an ADHD follow-up or 44 weeks for an ASD follow-up, if required.

In response to an enquiry by the LDRS, a spokesperson for the East and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust acknowledged the delays – and stressed that their focus was on reducing waiting times.

“We acknowledge that there are delays in waiting lists for community paediatric services as demand continues to grow significantly, particularly for neurodiversity referrals,” said a spokesperson for the trust.

“Our focus continues to be on reducing these waiting times and supporting children and young people to receive the care they need as quickly as possible.

“At present, patient waits for neurodiversity referrals – such as ASD or ADHD appointments – are in excess of 36 months.

“We continue to work with our partners within the Hertfordshire and West Essex Integrated Care Board to deliver plans to address community paediatric waiting lists across the system.”

As reported to the trust’s board, ‘transformation’ work is ongoing to change these pathways, including a standardised system across Hertfordshire – with a single point of administrative triage.

The target date for the implementation of the new model – which is being led by the Hertfordshire and West Essex Integrated Care Board (HWEICB) – has been said to be April 2025.

In response to an enquiry about the ‘transformation’ plans, a spokesperson for the HWEICB said: “A SEND improvement programme is ongoing across Hertfordshire to ensure we’re continuously improving support for children and young people with SEND.

“This is a partnership approach between Hertfordshire County Council and the local NHS.

“Waiting lists for assessments have continued to increase in recent months, but it continues to be the ambition of the local partnership to stabilise these waiting lists and in time work to bring these down.

“We know that any time waiting for support can be both worrying and frustrating for parents and carers. We sincerely apologise for this.

“It is important to note that there is no need to wait until you have a diagnosis to access support.

“Most services will support any child or young person who needs it – they do not need a diagnosis. If you don’t know where to start, visit hertfordshire.gov.uk/microsites/local-offer/new-to-send.aspx for advice.”