NHS waiting times for children in England rising at sharpest rate in history, CQC says
The Care Quality Commission's annual state of care report says 80,000 children and young people in England have waited more than a year for a community health appointment.
At a glance
- The CQC state of care report says children in England face some of the sharpest rises in NHS waiting times in its history.
- 80,000 children and young people have waited more than a year for a community health appointment, almost 11 times the number of adults.
- The CQC reported improvements in GP appointments and elective waits, but said they are not keeping pace with rising demand.
Children in England are experiencing some of the sharpest rises in waiting times for healthcare in the history of the NHS, according to the Care Quality Commission's annual state of care report.
The CQC found that in community health services alone, 80,000 children and young people had been waiting more than a year for an appointment – almost 11 times the number of adults. It said children and young people were being "hit hardest" amid soaring demand and falling numbers of staff.
Experts said the waits were "wholly unacceptable" and warned that children's health conditions were getting worse and becoming harder to treat as a result.
Improvements not keeping pace
Across health and social care in England more broadly, the report identified signs of improvement, including more GP appointments, increased use of digital solutions and shorter waits for elective care. It also highlighted local innovation, such as neighbourhood models and integrated care teams.
But those improvements were struggling to keep pace with rapidly rising demand, and in many areas, including mental health services, patients' needs are becoming more complex.
The CQC said persistent inequalities mean people's experience of care is fractured and depends heavily on where they live and who they are. It reported "unwarranted variation" in access to services, quality of care and outcomes across every region and every part of the system.
Some adults with cancer were waiting far too long to begin treatment after being diagnosed, while urgent and emergency care remained under "sustained pressure". Health visitor and school nurse numbers were "continuing to decline" despite growing demand, the CQC said.
The report also raised concerns about regional variations in rates of children being admitted to hospital for diabetes and asthma, and flagged particularly high rates of rotten teeth among children in some areas.
'Sick of seeing children wait'
Dr Ronny Cheung, of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, said community health services exist to support some of the country's most vulnerable children outside hospital, including those with complex conditions, developmental disorders and safeguarding needs.
"It is wholly unacceptable that more than one in four children still wait over a year for treatment, and without urgent action, too many more will be left to suffer unnecessarily," he said, adding that he was "sick of seeing children wait so long for support that they miss crucial opportunities to improve their health and development."
CQC chair Julia Neuberger said some health and social care services were "working well", but improvements were not keeping pace with demand. "To repair a fracturing system, there must be a collective response," she said.
The Department of Health and Social Care said the report showed "the scale of the challenge this government inherited" when it was elected in 2024. A spokesperson said the secretary of state had committed to go further to end corridor care, transform support for mothers and children, and deliver a new national care service.
Source: The Guardian World.
Questions and answers
- How long are children waiting for NHS care in England?
- The CQC report says 80,000 children and young people in community health services have been waiting more than a year for an appointment, almost 11 times the number of adults.
- What did the CQC state of care report find?
- It found signs of improvement such as more GP appointments and shorter elective waits, but said these are not keeping pace with demand and that children are being hit hardest.
- What did the government say about the report?
- The Department of Health and Social Care said it showed the scale of the challenge inherited in 2024, and pointed to commitments to end corridor care and deliver a new national care service.
