The data shows:
- There is currently a paediatric waiting list of nearly 340,000 for elective services with well over 8000 children waiting more than a year for treatment. The 18-week target is being missed more than 40% of the time.
- The waiting list for community child health services is almost 270,000. This includes services such as speech and language therapy, autism assessments, and occupational therapy.
- 48% of child waits for community health services are longer than 18 weeks, compared to 15% of adult waits.
- 40,000 paediatric waits are over 52 weeks, compared to only 10,000 adult waits for vital community health services.
RCPCH President, Professor Steve Turner, said:
It is a national scandal that over 600,000 children are stuck in limbo on a list, waiting to receive treatment. The 18-week target for children’ services is being missed as a matter of routine. We urgently need policymakers to prioritise child health and children’s rights to make sure that children do not continue to wait longer than adults. Recovery must go further and faster for children.
Children and their families have been disproportionately impacted by spiralling wait times, leading to school exclusion, lost opportunities for learning and socialisation, and worsening physical and mental health. We know that unhealthy children are more likely to grow into unhealthy adults. These unacceptable waiting times mean we are missing chances to intervene early and prevent conditions which have long-lasting implications for the nation’s health and economy.
Previous experience shows that unless plans specifically reference children’s services or allocate ringfenced funding, these services lose out in favour of adult care. There is an imminent opportunity through the 10 Year Health Plan to resolve these devastating waiting times, reform child health services, and bring paediatric and community teams closer together as part of a fully funded child health workforce strategy.
References:
- NHS Referral to treatment data set for December 2024: https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/rtt-waiting-times/rtt-data-2024-25/
- Community health services waiting lists, December 2024: https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/community-health-services-waiting-lists/