A PROVIDER of specialist mental health care in York is to take on autism assessments for children and young people in Scarborough and Ryedale.

The Retreat specialises in providing effective personalised autism and ADHD services across the North of England.

Families have received more information about the new service, including face-to-face appointments available in Scarborough and York, in letters sent out last week.

Dr Kim Bevan, from The Retreat, said: "We're really looking forward to working with families, children and young people from the Scarborough and Ryedale area. This is great news for those people who need our support.

"Here at The Retreat we already assess, diagnose and support many people who are on the autism spectrum – we seek to fully understand each person and enable them to live a life that is meaningful to them."

The service will involve diagnosing children who have not already been diagnosed, in line with NICE guidance and the team will also provide advice to other professionals.

York Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, which previously provided specialist services in Scarborough and Ryedale, has been working with the CCG to identify new providers after it decided it could no longer do so.

Although the trust stopped accepting new referrals for autism and ADHD assessments in May, wider community paediatric and children's therapy services are unaffected by these changes and continue to be provided by the trust at Scarborough Hospital.

For general advice visit nhs.uk