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Dr Seonaid Anderson, research manager for Tourettes Action, said that the average wait for diagnosis from when people have first noticed symptoms has been between one and two years, but some have waited for up to six years.

Dr Anderson added that the issue of pain and discomfort is also an area that has been overlooked.

"It was really quite shocking to discover that this was really quite chronic pain on a daily basis and their repetitive tics were causing them lots of problems in their day-to-day living," she says.

"For other movement disorders, there is perhaps more of an input in terms of helping them manage their pain.

"It seems to be an area that's lacking, you've got Tourette's syndrome and this pain or discomfort is just something you have to live with".

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said it was committed to supporting people with neurological conditions such as Tourette's.

"The NHS long-term plan sets out our intention to improve choice and personalised care for people with long term conditions, as well as to support local areas to tackle unwarranted variation in services".