Date & Venue:
Microsoft Teams (Online Meeting)
Key Highlights:
- Leadership & Governance Updates:
- Meeting chaired by Lee Gibbons in the absence of both Co-Chairs.
- Minutes and action log approved.
- Diagnosis Waiting List Updates:
- Adult Diagnosis: 1,240 adults on the waiting list, with 74 new referrals in August 2024.
- Children & Young People: 7,112 children waiting for neurodevelopmental assessments.
- Right to Choose referrals increased by 77% from 2023 to 2024, leading to a projected 13% reduction in NHS waiting lists.
- All-Age Autism Strategy Oversight Group:
- Strategy approved in July, with oversight group established.
- Year One Plan to be signed off by November 2024 and made public in December.
- LeDeR Review Findings:
- Median age of death for autistic individuals in Norfolk is 62 years, now aligned with national data.
- Respiratory disease is the leading cause of death, followed by suicide, misadventure, or accidental death.
- Concerns raised over exclusion of undiagnosed autistic individuals from LeDeR reviews.
- Autism Centre Project Proposal:
- Plan to develop an Autism Centre in Norfolk with sensory rooms, training spaces, and soft play areas.
- £2 million in funding required—capital appeal to launch after charity status is secured.
- Volunteers and input from autistic adults encouraged.
- Other Key Announcements:
- Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner expressed interest in joining NAPB.
- Increase in involvement fees approved—new rates now available online.
- Ongoing discussion on whether to adopt “Autistic Spectrum Condition (ASC)” instead of ASD—no formal decision made.
Next Steps:
- Finalize and publish the Year One Plan for the Autism Strategy.
- Continue monitoring Right to Choose and its impact on waiting lists.
- Support the Autism Centre Project awareness campaign.
- Review Police and Crime Commissioner’s potential membership with NAPB.
Next Meeting: 26 November 2024, Microsoft Teams.
To read the full minutes click here