Leicester’s first specialised neurodiverse assessment centre has just opened, in a bid to tackle the “overwhelming demand for assessments” of conditions like Autism Spectrum Disorder and ADHD across the county.
Purple House Clinic’s new neurodiverse assessment clinic opened earlier this month, and is located at The Crescent, King Street.
It will provide a number of services, including assessments for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), learning difficulties (Educational Psychology), and sensory difficulties (Occupational Therapy).
Vicki Edwards, the Director of Purple House Clinic Leicester, said that the clinic would help to help reduce waiting times for neurodiversity assessments across Leicestershire, which have increased dramatically in recent years.
“With the pandemic and increased awareness of mental health issues, the requirement for our services has skyrocketed. In 2022 we saw 410 patients from the surrounding area – the majority of which wanted neurodiverse assessments – an increase of 52 per cent from the previous year,” she revealed.
“This emphasises how important our services are to the local community here in Leicester. By opening a second clinic dedicated to neurodiverse assessment, we aim to help reduce waiting times for people already looking in the area and provide a viable alternative to using NHS services.”
The news of the centre will come as a relief to many people in Leicestershire, particularly when the number of patients who rely on NHS services received their first care contact within 13 weeks rose from 6,928 to 8,973, a rise of 30 per cent between 2021-2022.
“This is a troubling national statistic when you consider around 1-7 people in the UK are predicted to be neurodiverse (have ADHD, autism, dyspraxia, dyslexia, dyscalculia, dysgraphia, and Tourette’s syndrome),” said Ms Edwards.
“In Leicester, our most popular service is undoubtedly the specialist assessments for neurodiversity. We have noticed our waiting list was getting longer and longer due to increased patient demand, so we decided it was time to open a new clinic. This means we can now carry out even more specialist assessment services and ultimately help more people receive the right diagnosis and treatment faster.”
To find out more, visit: https://www.purplehouseclinic.co.uk/psychologists-leicester/
