Sinn Féin West Tyrone MLA Nicola Brogan has strongly criticised the ongoing crisis in autism services within the Western Health and Social Care Trust, attributing it directly to what she describes as "inaction and failure" by the current Health Minister, Mike Nesbitt.

Figures released by the Department of Health paint a stark picture: more than 3,000 individuals are currently on the waiting list for an autism assessment in the Western Trust, a staggering 2,686 of whom are children. In the past year alone, 950 children were referred for assessment, yet the Trust's annual capacity stands at a mere 420. The situation for adults is equally grim, with only 60 assessments possible per year despite demand running at three times that number.

"This is not a new problem — the Trust has been raising the alarm for years," stated Ms Brogan. "They have submitted business cases, laid out the scale of demand, and pleaded with the Department for support. And yet, the Minister for Health has failed to act." The Sinn Féin MLA branded the Minister’s "continued refusal to allocate additional resources" as inexcusable, highlighting the severe human cost of the crisis. "Families are being left to suffer in silence. Children are missing out on vital early support. Adults are being left undiagnosed, unsupported, and in many cases, struggling to survive in a system that ignores them," she passionately added.

Ms Brogan further reiterated support for frontline staff, noting they are being "pushed to breaking point while trying to manage an impossible workload with no meaningful support from the Department," despite the Department of Health receiving over half of the entire Executive’s overall budget.

Calling for immediate action, Ms Brogan concluded: "We need immediate and targeted investment in autism services within the Western Trust and right across six counties. The Minister must act now to expand diagnostic capacity, support staff, and deliver for the families who have been left behind for far too long."