Back to Facing the Future - audit results (2013)

We commit to auditing our standards so we can build a comprehensive picture of paediatric provision across the four nations. This audit covered the first edition of Facing the Future: Standards for acute general paediatric services.

Key findings

Over three quarters (77%) of children see a paediatrician on middle or consultant grade rotas within four hours of admission - just under a quarter do not.

88% of children or young people admitted to a paediatric department with an acute medical problem are seen by a consultant paediatrician (or equicalent) within the first 24 hours.

There is a disparity between care delivered during the day - just 11% (26% of self reported peak times) had a presence during the evening. During peak times at weekends consultant presence was just 6% (20% at self reported peak times).

Immediate telephone advice is not always available across some specialties and arrangements are often informal. There is a shortfall of staff across all rotas when measured against the Facing the Future standards.