Winter planning

Services for children and young people face challenges, and particularly each winter. With our guidance, position statements and case studies, we support members to make a compelling and evidence-based case for children's healthcare.
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Emergency care - sharing solutions and good practice ideas

In autumn 2022, we hosted a meeting about increased clinical pressures in UK paediatric Emergency Departments, and clinicians shared potential solutions.

In autumn 2020, we outlined good practice ideas, including in the care environment, mental health and safeguarding.

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NHS England's guidance on the national approach to 2023-24 winter planning includes recommended winter roles and responsibilities for each part of the system. It has a dedicated section on children and young people's needs.
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NHS England's guidance builds on the commitments in NHS England's plan published in January. Its key ambitions are to increase bed and ambulance capacity, grow the workforce, speed up discharge from hospitals, expand services in the community and help people access the right care first time.
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We have continued to call on national governments to support paediatrics and child health over winter periods - including fully costed, evidence-based strategies on workforce and health inequalities. Our guidance and list of resources were updated in November 2022.
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Published in autumn 2023, our updated recommendations on the management of children with viral respiratory tract infections in hospital settings aim to support clinicians in partnership with local infection prevention control teams. This now includes guidance on measles and COVID-19 treatments.
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Examples around the country detail the problem around winter pressures, the intervention and its costs and impact. They show how data-driven, systemic approaches can help make a difference.
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Our standards provide a vision of how paediatric care can be delivered to provide a safe and sustainable, high-quality service - meeting the health needs of every child and young person.