We make recommendations in each UK nation on improving access and equity, adapting models of care, supporting the workforce and using data. We are calling for further resource in community paediatrics to support all children and young people to achieve their potential.
Introduction
Community child health services and community paediatricians provide vital support for children, including some of the most vulnerable, across the UK and yet these services are overlooked and misunderstood by policymakers.
It is increasingly clear to the College and others that community child health services are under unsustainable strain. Average waiting times for community child health services are now some of the longest of any health system and these services are under extraordinary pressure.
For children in need of these services, which cover special educational need support, neurodiversity assessment, disability review and support, safeguarding and more, time is relative, and delays create real-time and potential long-term adverse impact.
Against a backdrop of growing need, health inequality and workforce pressures, the College has launched this four-nation campaign calling on governments across the UK to prioritise children’s community health services. We’ve published bespoke reports and recommendations aimed at decision-makers across the four nations of the UK to shine a light on the breadth of the specialty and the importance of commissioning and resourcing it adequately.
Background
In England, there is routinely published, clear data that shows waiting times are getting worse. Across the devolved nations, evidence suggests a similar picture. The College issued Freedom of Information requests for data on numbers waiting for access to community services across Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Returns from Wales and NI were disaggregated enough to utilise and show growing waiting times. Survey responses from members across all devolved nations further indicate a worrying growth in demand and lack of resource. Ultimately, available evidence paints a bleak UK-wide landscape for children relying on community services.
Delays in accessing community child health services have a significant impact on children and their families. Many interventions need to be given by a particular developmental stage, and missing the developmental window to intervene can have a lifelong impact on speech, mobility, missed learning and delayed development.
While the demands on community services have increased, there has been no comparable rise in workforce numbers. There are also further concerns for the future given the lack of coordinated national workforce plans based on projections of need.
More broadly, there is a lack of understanding around community paediatric services, what they are and why they are important. Given the continued pressure on these services across the UK, there is a clear need for campaigning and influencing work led by RCPCH aimed at decision-makers across all four nations.
Key themes across the UK
The campaign across all four UK nations is based around five themes:
- The urgent need for data
- Creating a sustainable child health workforce
- Collaborative care
- Positive transitions to adult services
- Neurodevelopmental services
We are publishing nation-specific reports with contextual information and policy recommendations for decision-makers in Scotland, England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
- Scotland - Launched in the Scottish Parliament on 15 May 2025 and sponsored by Dame Jackie Baillie MSP, Deputy Leader Scottish Labour & health spokesperson, this report brings the campaign and recommendations pertaining to Scotland directly to Members of the Scottish Parliament.
- England - Data on community paediatric waiting times are published on a monthly basis and the College have frequently drawn attention to these long waits, which have not recovered since COVID-19. Our campaign and report launched on 20 May 2025 targeting key decision-makers in England.
- Wales - Community paediatric data is not publicly available in Wales. But with Freedom of Information responses, our report published on 17 June 2025 provides a spotlight on each health board and sets out our asks of the Welsh Government.
- Northern Ireland - To launch on 26 June 2025
How to get involved
If you are interested in getting involved with our campaign, in any UK nation please get in touch:
- England - health.policy@rcpch.ac.uk
- Scotland - enquiries-scotland@rcpch.ac.uk
- Wales - enquiries-wales@rcpch.ac.uk
- Northern Ireland - enquiries-ireland@rcpch.ac.uk