NHS slammed for treating children who need A&E care as ‘second-rate citizens’
Two in five child A&E attendances are non-urgent
- The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) has warned that many emergency departments lack the necessary infrastructure to meet the increasing demands of child patients.
- Up to two in five (40 per cent) child A&E attendances are for non-urgent issues, as families often feel they have no other healthcare options available.
- Child A&E visits have risen significantly from 5.4 million in 2018/19 to 6.3 million in 2024/25, yet children receive only 11 per cent of NHS funding despite comprising 25 per cent of the population.
- Professor Steve Turner, RCPCH president, stated that children are treated as "second-rate citizens in the eyes of NHS funding" and are “often getting stuck and delayed in the wrong parts of the system”.
- The RCPCH has introduced new Emergency Care Standards to ensure children receive safe, compassionate, and timely care, addressing issues such as difficulty accessing GP appointments and NHS 111 referrals.