THE process of being diagnosed with autism in Stockton has been branded as 'not fit for purpose' by an MP after it emerged that families are now waiting almost four years for assessment.

Stockton South MP Dr Paul Williams said parents are now reporting waits of up to 47 months for an autism assessment, up from about 44 months last year.

The Labour MP, who is a practising GP, has been campaigning on the issue since he was elected last June but despite this the wait for families in his constituency is getting worse.

He has now written to the Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) of Hartlepool and Stockton asking it to spell out why the process is so lengthy, while in neighbouring areas the wait is just a few months.

The issue was being discussed by the CCG's Executive Board at a meeting last night.

Children in Stockton can wait years for a diagnosis, despite children in neighbouring Middlesbrough only waiting months.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence(NICE) has guidelines that insist on the assessment beginning after no more than three months.

Dr Williams said that the huge disparity in timings can leave some children and families struggling to access the support they need at an important time for their education.

He added: "Since the election I have been working with people and organisations from across Stockton who are affected by autism.

"I have had hundreds of approaches from parents in Stockton who have told me of the difficulties they face in everyday life and how the system that should be helping them, is in fact failing them badly.

"I have no criticism of the staff working within any part of the autism diagnosis process. These are people who want to help and are doing their best but they have been let down by a lack of leadership and find themselves in a system that is not fit for purpose.

"The important thing now is that there is a thorough appraisal of the problems we're seeing and that these issues in the system are addressed - improving outcomes for the children and families in Stockton.

Dr Williams, who is on the Parliamentary Health Select Committee, has previously raised questions on autism diagnosis times in the House of Commons and asked Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt to account on the poor results in autism diagnosis.

A spokeswoman for the CCG said: "The CCG (is) committed not only to fulfil our statutory responsibilities but to commission the very best outcomes for our children and young people. 

"We are striving to resolve the issues in relation to the waiting times in order to deliver NICE guidance recommendations, through a multi-agency approach to delivery. 

""There has been considerable work undertaken to date across the CCG and our partner organisations in relation to reviewing the pathway and identifying the underlying causes contributing to the waiting times in Stockton. 

"This work is to ensure that we develop sustainable high quality services across health and care to minimise the risks in relation to future demand pressures. 

"The CCG will continue to work with our partners Tees Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust (TEWV); NHS North Tees and Hartlepool Foundation Trust (NTHFT); Local Authority partners (including Education); the Voluntary sector and most importantly parents and carers; recognising that a multi-agency approach is required to delivering pathway developments and to ensure that the appropriate support is made available to individuals whilst they await a diagnosis.

"The CCG will continue to keep Dr Paul Williams MP appraised in relation to the points he has outlined in his correspondence.’