Children are confronted with ‘catastrophic’ waiting for health care after the backlog after the backlog to nearly 315,000, doctors warn.
Long waiting time can cause ‘irreparable damage’ and have ‘lifelong effects’, according to the new report from the Royal College of Pediatrics and Child Health.
It said that the waiting list for children in need for care in the community is growing, with remains with which children are confronted to postpone the age at which they go to school, obstruct their ability to socialize or play or harm their mental health.
The authors have questioned the government to move the care of hospitals to the community and say that without waiting lists of the community for children without ‘urgent action’ for children will continue to grow.
Community Pediatrics Care for children with a number of disorders, including people with developmental disorders and disabilities; Those with complex health needs, including care at the end of the lifespan; Children who have neurological disorders, including autism and ADHD.
They also see children where worries are about worries that are ‘cared for’ or are adopted.
The latest figures show that in March 2025 there were 314,432 children and young people who waited for health services in the community.
This is compared with 272,625 in March 2024.
Children are confronted with ‘catastrophic’ waiting for health care after the backlog after the backlog to nearly 315,000, doctors warns
The RCPCH said that children and young people wait considerably longer than adults to gain access to the health services in the community, with 22 percent of those who are currently waiting for a year or more.
Among the children who were currently on waiting lists, 67,725 had waited more than a year, and 15,240 children – or 5 percent of all children for waiting lists of the community – had been waiting for more than two years.
This compared to 1.3 percent of adults await a year for community services.
And while 86 percent of adults are seen within 18 weeks, only 50 percent of children and young people are seen within the same time frame.
“Average waiting times for community health services for the community are now one of the longest of every part of the health system,” says the RCPCH report.
It describes that the current state of the community services of children is ‘untenable’ and adds; ‘Children and young people (CYP) wait longer than adults to gain access to health care in England.
“Pediatric services do not recover at the same rates as adult services, and there is a growing gap between demand and capacity.”
Tackling ministerial plans to bring care closer to home said the authors: ‘We urgently need transformational change in the community services of children.
Dr. Ronny Cheung, officer for Health Services at the RCPCH
“The government urgently needs to tackle the current long waiting times in community health services in the community as a core part of recovery plans before progress can be made to a broader shift of care in the community.”
Dr. Ronny Cheung, officer for Health Services at the RCPCH, said: ‘Long waiting guard is unacceptable for every patient, but for children and young people the waiting can be catastrophic, because many treatments have to be given at a specific age or developmental stage.
‘Waits as these can lead to delayed start of school, limitations on socializing, sports, an increased risk of poor mental health, behavioral problems and need for both the child and their families.
‘We want the 10-year plan of the NHS to succeed, but we cannot shift the care in the community while children are currently being left.
“Without urgent action, these waiting lists will continue to grow – and children will continue to miss the vital care they need.”
The report makes a series of recommendations, including: a waiting time goal so that children are all seen within 18 weeks; Work to tackle the ‘investment gap’ between children and adult services and efforts to improve children’s health care.
Dr. Douglas Simkiss, chairman of the British Association for Community Child Health, said: ‘Community Children’s Services are an essential but often overlooked part of the health care system.
“The implementation of the recommendations in this report will have a hugely positive impact for the children and families who depend on these services and the staff that works in it.”
Long wait can cause ‘irreparable damage’ and have ‘lifelong effects’, according to the new report from the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health
A spokesperson for a Ministry of Health and Social Care said: ‘Too many children do not receive the care they need when they need it.
‘This government strives to shift care from the hospital and in the community: this is vital for children and their families, but it will take time.
‘We are working on transforming mental health care for children – hiring more staff and providing more talking therapies – and to support mental health care in every school.
“We know that more needs to be done and we work together with integrated care signs to understand the extent of the problem in each region, so that we can reduce the health services of the community.”
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