Thousands of children experiencing “unacceptable” long waits for NHS treatment face a “lifelong” impact on their health, a senior doctor has warned, as shocking figures reveal that nearly 15,000 paediatric operations were cancelled over the last year.
Dr Camilla Kingdon, president of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, said the mounting treatment backlog in England risked “serious” and “devastating” physical and mental consequences for children and their families.
She sounded the alarm as data obtained under freedom of information laws by the Liberal Democrats showed that a record high 14,628 children’s operations were postponed in 2022, up from 11,870 the year before and the highest in five years of data examined. Some children have now waited several years for surgery, according to the data.
The figures emerged as the NHS braced itself for yet more disruption, with thousands of junior doctors due to go on strike next week, meaning yet more children and adults face having vital treatment and operations put on hold again.
Many of the cancelled children’s operations were postponed due to a shortage of NHS staff or bed space, the data reveals, a problem the government has repeatedly been warned about by health leaders. The findings will pile pressure on ministers to tackle the workforce crisis and finally resolve the pay row with junior doctors.
Delaying a child’s operation risks having a “lifelong impact” on their development, Kingdon said, and also “seriously impact” their mental health, with knock-on effects on their ability to socialise, go to school and reach their full potential.
“The shocking scale of cancelled children’s operations is a badge of shame for this Conservative government,” said the Liberal Democrat leader, Sir Ed Davey. “Behind these figures are countless children and parents having to wait in pain and distress.
“Years of neglect by this government have led to chronic staff shortages and a lack of hospital beds, with communities across the country paying the price.”
Only 77 NHS hospital trusts in England provided full data, which showed that 59,566 paediatric operations had been cancelled since 2018, meaning the true scale of the clinical disruption is likely even worse.
Next week will see four days of walkouts by junior doctors after the bank holiday weekend. Hundreds of thousands of appointments and operations could be cancelled, and a row at the Royal College of Nursing over whether to accept the government’s pay deal may see nurses strike again.
Of the nearly 15,000 children’s operations cancelled in 2022, almost 4,000 were due to a lack of beds, a 59% rise on the previous year, according to the data. Meanwhile, 2,894 children’s operations were cancelled due to a lack of staff, up 52% on the year before.
Meanwhile, 446 were cancelled due to equipment problems, and 1,100 were axed due to a lack of theatre time on the day or because lists were overbooked.
Long waits for individual child patients were recorded at Leicester General (1,083 days) and Hull University Teaching Hospitals (1,008 days), according to the data.
Kingdon said the figures were “very concerning”. “The decision to cancel operations and procedures is an extremely difficult one for paediatric teams and is devastating for young patients and their families. Parents and carers will go to great lengths to prepare their children, both physically and emotionally, for surgery.
“They often will take time off work, secure childcare and make all the necessary arrangements for aftercare, only for the operation to be cancelled or postponed. It’s a deeply frustrating and profoundly emotional situation for all involved.”
Kingdon added: “Recently we have seen adult waiting times for treatment and procedures improve, but meanwhile the children’s backlog continues to rise. Long waits for treatments are unacceptable for any patient, but can be particularly dangerous for children.
“For children and young people, many treatments and procedures need to be given by a specific age or developmental stage. Missing the right window to treat a child or waiting too long can have a lifelong impact on a child’s healthy development.
“Long wait times can also seriously impact a child’s mental health and have knock-on effects on their ability to socialise, go to school and reach their full potential.”
Saffron Cordery, deputy chief executive at NHS Providers, said trust leaders were “acutely aware” that far too many children were waiting far too long for the care they need because of “significant shortages of beds, staff and equipment”. “We’re seeing severe pressures on children’s services right across the health and care system,” she added.
“It’s really important that children and young people receive timely treatment given their developmental needs, but also to prevent more care being required further down the line.”
The Department of Health and Social Care said cutting waiting lists was one of the prime minister’s five priorities. “The NHS has already virtually eliminated waits of more than two years for treatment, while 18-month waits have been cut by over 80% since the peak in September 2021,” a spokesperson said.
“We have also opened 94 new community diagnostic centres, which have delivered over 3.5m tests, checks and scans, since July 2021 – supporting patients to be diagnosed and access treatment more quickly.
“At the same time, we’re growing the healthcare workforce – we’re on track to deliver 50,000 more nurses into the NHS by next year and we have almost hit our target of delivering 26,000 additional primary care staff. The NHS will publish a long-term workforce plan shortly to support and grow the workforce.”
