Families let down by critical pressures in community paediatrics, report warns

Families are being let down by critical pressures in community paediatric services, the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health Scotland has warned.

Its report calls for investment, data improvements and a sustainable community workforce to better support vulnerable children and families, citing a lack of reliable data and workforce shortages.

The document, titled Collaborative Healthcare In Scotland: Delivering The Services Children Need In The community, cited major challenges including in neurodevelopmental services, warned health professionals “are stretched thin”, and noted a “postcode lottery” for services.

The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) Scotland said community paediatricians play a vital role in safeguarding vulnerable children, co-ordinating complex care, and working alongside families and multi-agency partners, including conducting clinics in various settings and developing local health strategies.

RCPCH officer for Scotland Dr Mairi Stark said: “This report delves into the significant challenges faced by community child health services in delivering comprehensive care and support to children and their families.

“These challenges have been identified through feedback from our dedicated members.

“Our members have told us of long waiting lists and unsustainable demand for their services.

“Unlike our Worried and Waiting report, community paediatric data is not published for all health boards on Public Health Scotland.

“Despite submitting FOIs (freedom of information) to all health boards, we quickly uncovered a glaring inconsistency in data recording, preventing us from obtaining a clear picture of the need across Scotland.

“If we cannot grasp the full scale of the need, how can we possibly address it?

“Community paediatrics is essential for children with the most complex needs, yet it remains under-supported and under-resourced.

“Without better data, strategic investment, and a sustainable workforce, we risk failing the children who rely on us most.

“RCPCH Scotland is urging the Scottish Government and health boards to act decisively to protect and improve these vital services.”

Michelle Wilson, head of children services at Children’s Health Scotland, said: “Children’s Health Scotland is proud to have engaged with our health rights defenders to ensure that children and young people’s lived experiences and priorities take centre stage in this essential new RCPCH Scotland report.

“Children and young people’s insights, highlighted throughout this report, underscore the critical need for timely access to community child health services and collaborative care.”

Nicola Killean, Children and Young People’s Commissioner Scotland, said: “Children have the right to the best possible physical and mental health, and that means getting the support they need, when they need it.

“This powerful report highlights issues that children regularly raise with us and it’s vital that their voices are not only listened to but are acted upon.

“Much more needs to be done to address the postcode lottery of community-based healthcare and regional disparities to ensure that there is equal access to the right support and professionals at the right time.

“There is a real need for more investment in child community health including in early intervention, and resources to tackle the unmet need in relation to neurodevelopmental services.”

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “We are committed to improving the quality of healthcare services for children and young people. We also recognise how crucial community based services are for children and their families throughout Scotland.

“We commend the RCPCH for putting the voices of young people front and centre of this report. We will consider the report’s findings as we continue to work alongside NHS Boards and across government to improve the experiences of children everywhere.”