New report reveals alarming rise in healthcare waiting times for UK children

Children are facing some of the “sharpest increases” in healthcare waiting times despite improvements in delays for adults, a new report has revealed.

Across England, more than 80,000 children and young people are waiting longer than a year for community health services – a figure almost 11 times higher than for adults, according to the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

The health regulator also highlighted growing delays for youth mental health services, alongside an ongoing decline in school nurses and health visitors despite rising demand.

Hospital admission rates for bronchiolitis – a leading reason children require hospital treatment – remain 50 per cent higher than a decade ago, despite recent two-year declines. The report also highlights regional disparities in hospitalisations for paediatric asthma and diabetes, alongside high rates of severe tooth decay in certain areas.

In its annual State of Care report, the CQC warned that access to health and adult social care services "remains a serious problem for many people who need care".

The regulator stated: "Overall, children and young people are experiencing some of the sharpest increases in need for care and waiting times across the system, even as some adult waiting times have improved.

"This is starkly illustrated in community health services where over 80,000 children and young people – almost 11 times the number of adults – have been waiting over a year for an appointment.

"At the same time, the number of children waiting for first contact with mental health services rose nearly a third in two years."

The report adds: "The number of adults waiting over a year has reduced, but the number of children and young people who have been waiting over a year increased by 129% in the two years to March 2026."

Most long delays for children relate to community paediatric services, which assess suspected neurodevelopmental conditions such as autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). These services also provide support for speech and language therapy, cerebral palsy, genetic conditions, and hearing or visual impairments.

Dr Ronny Cheung, officer for Health Services at the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, said: "Community child health services support some of the most vulnerable children outside of hospital settings, including those with complex conditions, developmental disorders and safeguarding needs.

"Yet these children face some of the longest waits in the NHS, while waiting times for adult community services have improved.

"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.

"As a paediatrician, I am sick of seeing children wait so long for support that they miss crucial opportunities to improve their health and development.

"Behind these figures are children struggling at school, families pushed to breaking point, and conditions becoming more complex while they wait."

The CQC noted that the average wait for young people seeking initial contact with mental health services doubled from 5.8 months in April 2023 to 12 months by March 2026. Between 2023/24 and 2025/26, monthly waiting list figures grew by 31 per cent from 237,590 to 311,070.

Authors warned such delays inflict a "profound impact" on families. It follows a major review into youth mental health, which found psychological distress has "increased substantially" and concluded the rise "is real, is affecting everyday functioning and cannot be explained by greater awareness alone". The Fonagy review also warned of a "tipping point" where individuals risk misdiagnosis for ADHD and autism due to a mismatch between condition prevalence and service demand.

Looking across health and social care, the CQC flagged broader concerns, including cancer patients waiting too long for treatment post-diagnosis, sustained pressure and long waits in A&E, staffing shortfalls in general practice reducing care capacity, and persistent regional inequalities.

CQC chairwoman Baroness Julia Neuberger said: "This year’s State of Care report shows a health and care system under real strain, but one where some things are also working well.

"Demand continues to rise, and in some services people are presenting with more complex needs than before. At the same time, we’re seeing real improvements, from more GP appointments to shorter elective waits.

"But these improvements aren’t keeping pace with demand everywhere, and where they fall short, it’s often the same people and places bearing the consequences.

"To repair a fracturing system, there must be a collective response."

The Department of Health and Social Care has been approached for comment.