15/02/2026
🔵 UPDATE : ASD AND ADHD ASSESSMENTS – INFORMATION FROM OUR MEETING WITH THE ICB – CHANGES THAT HAVE NOW HAPPENED🔵
We know how worrying and unsettling the last few days have been following the announcement about Autism and ADHD pathways being paused in some areas covered by Lancashire and South Cumbria Foundation Trust (LSCFT). Because of this we are sharing what we now understand following our meeting with the ICB and the changes we have been assured will now take place.
📄 The original Trust Communication from LSCFT was:
✋The listed pathways have been stopped completely
✋Those on the waiting lists will not be seen
✋Referrals would be paused. There is no alternative in place.
This triggered an urgent escalation, so things are changing quickly and being managed at the highest level across NHS leadership. 🚨⤴️
This escalation resulted in, the ICB and Lancashire and South Cumbria Foundation Trust being in urgent crisis level meetings this week. A crisis meeting was also held yesterday between the ICB and Parent Carer Forums from across the area, including LPCF, SENDAC and Blackburn with Darwen PCF.
Below is the most accurate information we have right now ⬇️
As things are changing quickly, this may prompt more questions, but this is all the information we have right now...
❓Who made the decision to make these changes to the assessment service?
➡️ The decision was made by Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust (LSCFT). This was not an ICB decision.
• Trusts = provide the service.
• ICB = decides who provides the service.
➡️ This was due to capacity pressures and risk management within the trust
➡️ This decision has triggered crisis level meetings between LSCFT and ICB Chief Executives.
🔄 📌 CHANGES that have been made due to the crisis level meetings (what we know so far):
🧠 Mental Health Support:
• Children and young people with mental health difficulties or other comorbidities will continue to be supported by CAMHS / ELCAS.
📅 If Your Child Already Has an Appointment:
• If your child has been given a date for their first assessment appointment, that assessment will now still go ahead with LSCFT - There are no changes for you or your child.
• If your child has already had their first appointment and is part way through the process, they will now continue their assessment with LSCFT- There are no changes for you or your child.
🕒 If Your Child Is on the Waiting List:
• Children already accepted onto the waiting list following their screening appointment will remain on the list.
• Children will not lose their place on the list.
• However, they will be transferred to a new provider once this has been commissioned by the ICB – they will not continue with LSCFT.
• Waiting times overall are still unknown, but prioritisation will follow how long each child has already waited.
• We have not been given confirmed timescales. We did push for estimates and were told this is expected to be weeks rather than months.
• No child will be discharged and be made to start again.
⚖️ Right to Choose:
• Right to Choose will not be affected. This is your legal right under NHS patient choice law.
🔄 Is this part of the new neurodevelopmental pathway?
• No, the long-term neurodevelopmental pathway redesign is still ongoing.
• What is happening now is an emergency response to current waiting list pressures.
🏗️ What the ICB are doing now:
• ICB and LSCFT Chief Executives are meeting urgently to establish next steps. We will be informed of these next steps as soon as the decisions are made.
• They have committed that no child will be removed from a waiting list. All children will transfer to a newly commissioned provider once this is in place.
• They are urgently exploring investment options, shifting NHS resources and commissioning alternative providers to ensure children are placed with a new provider as soon as possible.
🛡️ Assurances that the ICB are giving parent carers right now:
🧭 As your Parent Carer Forum, we will hold them to account for the following assurances:
• No child is being dropped from the waiting list. Waiting lists will be transferred.
• The time your child has already waited will be protected, although we do not yet know how this may affect overall waiting times.
• Assessments already booked in will still go ahead.
🟦 PCF Position :
• The original communication from LSCFT about the changes to ADHD and ASD assessment pathways was unclear for parent carers and added to worries and concerns about what would happen to children and young people who are already waiting or seeking referral.
• Behind every waiting list number is a child who needs support and a family who has already been waiting far too long. That is what we are keeping at the centre of every conversation.
• No child or family should be left without access to the care or support they need, including assessments. The loss of a clear assessment route must be resolved urgently.
What we are doing as your Parent Carer Forum:
☑️ Parent Carer Forums are now directly involved in crisis level
meetings and will continue pushing for clarity, accountability and timely solutions.
☑️ We have formally raised our concerns with the ICB highlighting the significant impact these changes have on families.
☑️ We formally highlighted the poor communication with families and our significant concerns relating to replacing of diagnoses with a ‘needs-lead approach’ - this will not take place.
☑️ We have asked them to arrange a meeting with ADHD North West to discuss support for families during this time – they have assured us one will take place.
☑️ we have told the ICB to check their website links to ensure families can still access signposted support, some of which we found were unusable.
Questions we are pushing for clear answers to: ❓
• When will a full mitigation plan be in place?
• When will families receive direct communication?
• What will the alternative provision look like?
• Who will be carrying out future assessments?
• How will individual circumstances be handled?
• What is the impact assessment of this decision?
• Will this be a like for like pathway?
️🗣🛡️ Assurances we are pushing for:
• Protection of the time children have already waited
• Clear and direct communication to families
• Assessments to restart as quickly as possible
• Transparency around next steps and decision making
📅 Next steps:
We will be meeting again with the ICB on Tuesday (during half term) for further updates.
Please bear with us as we gather verified information before sharing it.
📢 We will update you with facts as we receive them. We won’t be vague or silent.
📨 We are also creating an FAQ list, so please send us any questions you would like included: secretarylpcf@lancashireparentcarerforum.org.uk
We understand how distressing and unacceptable this situation is. We are pushing for answers, transparency and urgent action, and we will continue to update you as soon as more information is confirmed.
