The document sets out good practice opportunities for improving internal ED pathways from arrival to departure. We are acutely aware there are significant challenges that children and young people (CYP) and their families are facing in UEC settings.
Every day, patients experience overcrowding, long ED waits, staffing limitations and variation in CYP services across paediatric emergency medicine services. Our members and their colleagues working across UEC are working as hard as possible but face increasing demand in the absence of more resource.
Our response
We welcome this document, which aims to address these challenges. We are also pleased to see:
- That this document applies to all age groups, ensuring that the needs of adults and CYP are appropriately considered within ED pathways, which will support high-quality and equitable care for children and young people.
- The inclusion of CYP as a priority cohort under the key elements of high performing pathway.
- The CYP focussed appendix, which incorporates CYP patient experience and sets out further detail on the considerations that apply to EDs where under-18s are assessed or treated.
In October 2025 we published our Facing the Future: Standards for children and young people in emergency care. These standards outline how to deliver safe, high quality and integrated care for children and young people in Paediatric Emergency Departments in the UK. We are pleased to see the Model ED Blueprint highlight the Standards as a key resource in delivering high quality emergency care for CYP and advise that the principles should be read in conjunction with these.
In response to the new blueprint, RCPCH President Professor Steve Turner said:
Our Emergency Departments are under immense and growing pressure. Children and young people are feeling the impact acutely. We cannot carry on like this. This Model ED Blueprint is a vital and timely step, and we are pleased to see children and young people placed firmly at its heart. Used alongside our Facing the Future standards, we hope it will support teams to strengthen safety, reduce delays and deliver the high quality, equitable care that every child urgently needs.