People served by NHS North East and North Cumbria ICB waited an average of a year and five months for support, below the national average of under a year, BBC analysis of NHS data revealed.

A spokesperson for the ICB said: ‘Improving access to assessment, diagnostic, and support services for children and young people is a key priority for the NHS in the North East and North Cumbria. Nationally, referrals for children and young people's neurodevelopmental assessments, which includes autism and attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder, have increased significantly and the North East and North Cumbria has seen similarly high increases in referrals.'

The ICB said the impact of the Covid pandemic and an increased understanding of neurodiversity had led to a surge in demand for services. Referrals have increased fivefold since the pandemic with around three-quarters of all referrals to NHS children and young people's mental health services now for neurodevelopmental assessment.

The ICB accepted waiting times were ‘not acceptable' and vowed to continue to explore the support that can be provided while waiting for detailed clinical assessments.

‘Not all children require a full clinical assessment and we will continue to work with partners, including children, young people and their families, to transform our services,' the spokesperson said.

‘We would hope that this will allow us to ensure we target resources to those with the greatest need while working with partners in primary care and local authorities to develop better local provision.

 ‘This remains a challenge across every area in every region in England. We understand the impact this can have on children and their families.'