Dewsbury mum of Educating Yorkshire star calls for more NHS support for children living with Tourette’s

Alison, the mother of 13-year-old Amy who featured in the first episode of the latest series of the fly-on-the-wall documentary, believes more help is needed from the health service, with her daughter currently on a 32-week waiting list to be seen by a specialist neurologist.

The youngster has suffered with involuntary sounds and movements - tics - her whole life, but her condition worsened in August 2024 before the Channel 4 cameras arrived into Dewsbury’s Thornhill Community Academy to film the second series of the popular show.

The programme returned to our screens 12 years after its groundbreaking first series, with the Valley Drive school reopening its doors for a new group of pupils and staff to tell their heartwarming stories.

Producers, at Amy’s request, were asked not to show an extensive amount of her tics, which include whistling and neck twitching. Since filming, however, they have got even worse.

Alison confirmed her daughter has had many appointments with her “amazing” doctor, and was taken into the Children’s Assessment Unit at Dewsbury Hospital earlier this year after her tics got so severe she could not drink, eat, or sleep.

Her attendance at school has also suffered, and, even when she can attend, a “mortified” Amy is not in her normal lessons due to the unfortunate disruption caused by her tics.

And while the teenager is on medication, she was put on a 32-week waiting list to see a neurologist at Pinderfields Hospital back in April, with her status being “red flagged” by doctors and a mental health professional.

However, despite a recent diagnosis confirming Amy has got Tourette’s, she has still not been seen by a specialist.

“We feel like we have got nowhere to turn,” Alison revealed. “We think there are about 13 specialists in the country that deal with Tourette’s in children and eight of them are down in London. We don’t know where to turn, what to do or how to cope.

“There are times when me and my partner will have to come home from work to get her because she just can’t cope at school or she’s in pain with the tics. She is not functioning and her life is not where it needs to be.

“She was let down quite early on in not getting the support that she needed. I feel like we have been let down quite a bit.

“We’re just going round in circles. We’re not seemingly going anywhere. Nobody knows what to do. You can’t get in touch with the people you need to get in touch with. We’re just stuck with Amy who is besides herself most of the time.

“She is really struggling and wondering if this is her life and why no one wants to help her. She is a really good kid who tries to work hard and do well even though she struggles.

“And even though the doctors have flagged it up, she has not had the support that she has needed. And now we are at this point.”

She added: “I can’t understand when doctors who know her, have red flagged it, have said she is deteriorating and that she is struggling, why aren’t they taking that on board? That is the thing that has shocked me.

“They are not listening to other doctors. She is just a name on a piece of paper. She is struggling to breathe sometimes, she is in a lot of pain, and unable to go to school.

“She has been put on medication where, according to the NHS, it says you need ongoing support with it. The only way we’re getting support is by going to see her GP. We have just been left with her on this medication. It is not doing much at the moment.

“I don’t understand why nothing is happening.”

Alison, however, is full of praise for staff at Thornhill Community Academy and at Channel 4.

She said: “It was a very big thing for us to allow her to be on there. It wasn’t something we particularly wanted her to do but she loved it.

“Channel 4 has been nothing but amazing. They have got a child psychologist that works with them and he’s been up more than once from London to see Amy. We have had more support from them than the NHS.

“And school is absolutely amazing. They are fantastic with the medical needs and fantastic with support for her.”

Asked what she wants to happen for Amy to get the help she requires, Alison replied:

“We want to shine a light on how bad it is and hopefully get her the help that she needs, as we are very, very stuck.

“She seems to have captured people’s hearts and people seem to like her. But it’s not just for her, we’d like to help other people’s children too, as there doesn’t seem to be much support or help, especially, in this part of the country.”

Matt Burton, headteacher at Thornhill Community Academy said:

“Amy’s journey - documented through the first episode of Educating Yorkshire - captured the hearts of the nation.

“She is an intelligent, articulate and kind student who works hard to meet the challenges she faces. We will always strive to do all within our power to support her through.

“We ask everyone associated with TCA to ‘be nice, work hard’. Amy does that on a daily basis and we’re very proud of her.”

A spokesperson from the ICB (Integrated Care Board) said: “NHS staff across West Yorkshire are working hard to ensure that all patients needing assessments and support for tic disorders, including Tourette’s, are seen as soon as possible.

“There is currently no single service for people with Tourette’s in West Yorkshire. However, there are local specialist services available that children and young people can be referred into, where they will receive assessment and support.

“These include paediatric, mental health and neurology services. There are also local support groups that provide information, advice and guidance for children, young people, and their families.

“More information is available on the West Yorkshire Healthier Together website.”