Children's health staff shortages
Significant workforce shortages across multiple disciplines in children's health, impacting care delivery and patient safety.
Strongest theme matches
Mixed across source types and ranked by classifier confidence plus text match strength.
Committee recommendation
100match
#13 - Eighth Report - Children and young people’s mental health
One of the largest barriers to increasing access to mental health provision for children and young people remains the size of the mental health workforce. We have seen that children and young people’s mental health practitioners face staff shortages, increasing demand and high levels of work-related stress which in turn leads to more part-time work and increased early...
Matched on
terms: children, health, shortage, staff
Committee recommendation
100match
#66 - Shortages of educational psychologists and allied health professionals undermine quality of SEND support
Shortages of educational psychologists and allied health professionals, including speech and language therapists, occupational therapists, and physiotherapists are significantly undermining the availability and quality of SEND support. These workforce gaps delay assessments, restrict access to essential interventions, and place additional pressure on schools and multi- academy trusts to fill specialist roles they are not equipped to provide. In...
Matched on
terms: children, health, shortage
Committee recommendation
100match
#14 - Create sustainable children's health workforce with specific recruitment targets in the NHS Plan.
The Government must take the opportunity presented by the forthcoming NHS 10 Year Workforce Plan to create a sustainable and well-resourced children’s health workforce. While we understand the Government’s desire for the workforce plan to go beyond numbers, a plan that does not set out a clear, achievable and funded road map for addressing staff shortages would completely...
Matched on
terms: children, health, shortage, staff
Committee recommendation
100match
#13 - Significant shortages across children's health workforce are impacting care delivery and patient safety.
Throughout this inquiry we heard that the children’s health workforce is being stretched to breaking point. There are significant shortages across multiple disciplines which prevent professionals from delivering the care young children and their families need and that, in some cases, significantly impacts on patient safety (Conclusion, Paragraph 76)
Matched on
terms: children, health, shortage
Committee recommendation
95match
#14 - Eighth Report - Children and young people’s mental health
In addition, it is paramount that a plan is implemented to increase the size and wellbeing of the children and young people’s mental health workforce based on independently verified estimates of the number of people needed in different disciplines and the training places required to deliver them. The strategy should include an assessment of how the skill mix...
Matched on
terms: children, health
Committee recommendation
94match
#67 - Develop joint SEND workforce plan to address shortages and re-deploy professionals therapeutically
The DfE and DHSC should urgently develop a joint SEND workforce plan to address shortages and build capacity across education, health, and care services. This should include explicit measures to deliver a shift in the deployment of educational psychologists, speech and language therapists and other allied health professionals away from undertaking assessments and writing reports and towards greater...
Matched on
terms: children, health, shortage, staff
Committee recommendation
91match
#15 - Set plans to support non-NHS children's health professionals and review multidisciplinary team guidance.
Many professions which play a key role in delivering children’s health care are not entirely or primarily employed by the NHS. We recommend the Government sets out how it plans to support those professions in non- NHS settings, particularly allied health professionals and early years practitioners, in a child’s health workforce strategy that should accompany the NHS 10...
Matched on
terms: children, health
Committee recommendation
91match
#9 - Create plan to rebuild health visitor workforce and recruit at least 1000 additional staff.
The Government must create a specific plan to rebuild the health visitor workforce in its forthcoming NHS Long Term Workforce Plan. This plan must be informed by safe staffing tools to ensure that health visitors have a manageable workload. As an initial step, we call on the Government to immediately commit to recruiting at least another 1000 health...
Matched on
terms: health, staff
Committee recommendation
91match
#8 - Decimated health visitor workforce threatens government ambition for children's early life outcomes.
The Government will fail to deliver on its ambition to give every child the best start in life unless it takes urgent action to rebuild the health visitor workforce, which has been decimated over the last 10 years. (Conclusion, Paragraph 55)
Matched on
terms: children, health
Committee recommendation
89match
#4 - Require DHSC to detail ICB SEN prioritisation, workforce plans, and targets for reducing waiting lists.
Accessing health expertise presents a significant barrier to identifying and supporting SEN needs. DHSC plays a critical role in the SEN system. It jointly published with DfE the Code of Practice and 2023 improvement plan and is responsible for overseeing local health service providers. Currently, only 2 out of 32 competing priorities for the National Health Service (NHS)...
Matched on
terms: children, health, staff
PFD report
85match
Ellame Ford-Dunn Prevention of future deaths report
The coroner noted insufficient Tier 4 Paediatric Mental Health beds and an average 8-day wait. Children needing mental health care are accommodated on acute paediatric wards not designed or staffed for their needs, lacking community care or specialist beds.
Matched on
terms: children, health, staff
CQC action
81match
Westmorland General Hospital
The service must ensure that there is enough staff with the right qualifications, skills, training and experience to provide care and treatment, specifically in relation to medical staffing including taking into account national guidance for the care of children and specifically paediatric emergency medicine consultant cover – This in line with the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child...
Matched on
terms: children, health, staff
Inquiry recommendation
81match
BRIS-196 - Mandate paediatric environment, trained staff, and PICU access for children's interventional procedures
The national standards should stipulate that children with CHD who undergo any form of interventional procedure must be cared for in a paediatric environment. This means that all healthcare professionals who care for these children must be trained and qualified in paediatric care. It also means that children must be cared for in a setting with facilities and...
Matched on
terms: children, health, staff
Inquiry recommendation
81match
BRIS-170 - Designate senior staff in health authorities for local children's healthcare commissioning
Each health authority and each primary care group or primary care trust should designate a senior member of staff who should have responsibility for commissioning children’s healthcare services locally.
Matched on
terms: children, health, staff
Inquiry recommendation
78match
BRIS-167 - Appoint National Director for Children's Healthcare Services to promote improvements
A National Director for Children’s Healthcare Services should be appointed to promote improvements in healthcare services provided for children.
Matched on
terms: children, health
Inquiry recommendation
78match
IHRD-85 - Deputy CMO for Children's Healthcare
The Department should appoint a Deputy Chief Medical Officer with specific responsibility for children's healthcare.
Matched on
terms: children, health
PFD report
77match
Emma Carpenter
The coroner noted short-term funding for the specialist Eating Disorder Service and a national lack of inpatient beds for mentally ill children. Gaps were also identified in school nurses' attendance at Multi-Disciplinary Meetings due to funding, impacting communication with education staff.
Matched on
terms: children, staff
PFD report
77match
Madeleine Savory
The coroner raised concerns about the national availability of Tier 4 beds in paediatric mental health facilities, impacting the timely allocation of care for children needing such services.
Matched on
terms: children, health
PFD report
77match
Imogen Nunn Prevention of future deaths report
The coroner identified a national shortage of British Sign Language (BSL) interpreters and BSL-proficient clinicians, impacting mental health support for Deaf patients, and noted the absence of statutory regulation for BSL interpreters.
Matched on
terms: health, shortage
Inquiry recommendation
77match
IHRD-71 - Children's Healthcare Governance
All Trust Boards should ensure that appropriate governance mechanisms are in place to assure the quality and safety of the healthcare services provided for children and young people.
Matched on
terms: children, health
CQC enforcement action
77match
Warning Notice: Cambridgeshire Community Services NHS Trust
CQC told Cambridgeshire Community Services NHS Trust it must make urgent improvements to comply with two national standards of quality and safety at its children’s inpatient services based at Hinchingbrooke Hospital. This followed an unannounced inspection on 3 September 2013, which found standards relating to the care and welfare of people and staffing were not being met. As...
Matched on
terms: children, staff
Committee recommendation
77match
#4 - Eighth Report - Children and young people’s mental health
During the pandemic, children and young people’s mental health has significantly worsened and the scale of the backlog mean that the NHS will not be able to treat its way out of this crisis. The need for early intervention and prevention in children and young people’s mental health has been consistently overlooked by successive governments and although there...
Matched on
terms: children, health
LGO / SPSO decision
76match
PSOW-201903330 - Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board
Ms C complained about her daughter, H’s, management and care by Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board’s “(the First Health Board’s”) Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (“CAMHS”), including what Ms C felt was an unreasonable delay in diagnosing her daughter’s Borderline Personality Disorder (“BPD”). Ms C also complained about a lack of support provided to her prior...
Matched on
terms: children, health, staff
IMB recommendation
76match
Isle of Wight (2022)
This was another difficult year with the prison continuing to face Covid challenges while managing an increasing population of Category C prisoners. Welcome progress was made towards a more normal regime as Covid restrictions were relaxed. However, the anticipated benefits of this were severely limited by chronic staff shortages. This resulted in prisoners remaining locked up for considerable...
Matched on
terms: health, shortage, staff
Inquiry recommendation
73match
BRIS-181 - Organise children's specialist services for best staff, facilities, and outcomes, prioritising quality
Specialist services for children should be organised so as to provide the best available staff and facilities, thus providing the best possible opportunity for good outcomes. Advice should be sought from experts on the appropriate number of patients to be treated to achieve good outcomes. In planning and organising specialist services, the requirements of quality and safety should...
Matched on
terms: children, staff
Inquiry recommendation
72match
BRIS-185 - Review and apply 1991 paediatric nurse staffing standards as minimum
The 1991 standards for the numbers of paediatrically qualified nurses required at any given time should serve as the minimum standard and should apply where children are treated (save in emergencies). The standards should be reviewed as a matter of urgency to take account of changing patterns in the provision of acute healthcare services.
Matched on
terms: children, health, staff
CQC action
69match
Victoria Infirmary
The service must ensure that they have enough staff with the right qualifications, skills, training and experience to provide care and treatment to children and that staffing of children’s nurses is in line with national guidance.
Matched on
terms: children, staff
Committee recommendation
69match
#41 - 2nd Report - Human Rights of Children in the Social Care System in England
We have heard evidence about the inadequate provision of mental health support and care in social care settings, which can be one of the contributing causes for self-inflicted injuries and deaths. The government must tackle this as a matter of urgency and ensure that all children with social care involvement receive appropriate mental health support. In developing solutions,...
Matched on
terms: children, health
Committee recommendation
69match
#38 - 2nd Report - Human Rights of Children in the Social Care System in England
We have seen evidence that children in need, a group that includes children in care and disabled children, are four times more likely to die due to deliberately inflicted injury, abuse or neglect than children without any social care involvement. While we acknowledge that Children and Adolescent Mental Health Services are facing unprecedented strain, this reality is profoundly...
Matched on
terms: children, health
Inquiry recommendation
69match
BRIS-183 - Validate trusts providing children's acute services for child-centred policies, staff, and facilities
After completion of a pilot exercise, all trusts which provide acute hospital services for children should be subject to a process of validation to ensure that they have appropriate child- and family-centred policies, staff, and facilities to provide a good standard of care for children. Trusts which are not so validated should not, save in emergencies, provide acute...
Matched on
terms: children, staff
Inquiry recommendation
69match
BRIS-177 - NSF must provide strategic guidance for integrating children's healthcare services
There must be much greater integration of primary, community, acute and specialist healthcare for children. The NSF should include strategic guidance to health authorities and trusts so that services in the future are better integrated and organised around the needs of children and their families.
Matched on
terms: children, health
Inquiry recommendation
69match
BRIS-176 - NSF must plan regular publication of children's healthcare quality and performance data
The NSF must include plans for the regular publication of information about the quality and performance of children’s healthcare services at national level, at the level of individual trusts, and of individual consultant units.
Matched on
terms: children, health
Inquiry recommendation
69match
BRIS-175 - NSF must include incentives for improving children's healthcare services, aiding needy trusts
The NSF should include incentives for the improvement of children’s healthcare services, with particular help being given to those trusts most in need.
Matched on
terms: children, health
Inquiry recommendation
69match
BRIS-173 - NSF must establish standards for all children's acute healthcare services
The NSF should include a programme for the establishment of standards in all areas of children’s acute hospital and healthcare services.
Matched on
terms: children, health
Inquiry recommendation
69match
BRIS-172 - Urgently agree and implement National Service Framework for children's healthcare
The proposed National Service Framework (NSF) for children’s healthcare services must be agreed and implemented as a matter of urgency.
Matched on
terms: children, health
Inquiry recommendation
69match
BRIS-169 - Expand Cabinet Committee remit to include healthcare for children and young people
The Cabinet Committee on Children and Young People’s Services should specifically include in its remit matters to do with healthcare and health services for children and young people.
Matched on
terms: children, health
Committee recommendation
69match
#37 - Eighth Report - Children and young people’s mental health
We recommend that the Department implement a new system of early intervention to support children and young people who self-harm and are at risk of committing suicide. Educational settings, as a universal provision, can have an important role to provide effective early intervention to pupils who may be struggling with self-harm before the mental health need becomes more...
Matched on
terms: children, health
Committee recommendation
69match
#5 - Eighth Report - Children and young people’s mental health
The Department of Health and Social Care—in partnership with the Department for Education and all other relevant Government departments—must take radical steps to shift the focus in mental health provision towards early intervention and prevention. This must ensure that all children and young people under the age of 25 can receive mental health support as early as possible...
Matched on
terms: children, health
Committee recommendation
68match
#7 - Eighth Report - Children and young people’s mental health
Commitments in the 2017 Green Paper and the NHS Long Term Plan have been taken seriously by NHS England and led to a significant expansion of provision. We are, however, concerned that many commitments may not yet be ambitious enough to ensure every young person with a diagnosable mental health condition can access care. Currently, waiting times for...
Matched on
terms: children, health
CQC action
68match
Durham Diagnostics and Treatment Centre
The service must ensure that staff are appropriately trained in caring for children and young people with mental health conditions.
Matched on
terms: children, health, staff
Committee recommendation
65match
#4 - Clarify required family court capacity and plans to resolve judge and social worker shortages.
Shortages in the number of district judges and social workers are contributing to delays, and to significant regional differences in timeliness of resolving cases. There are wide variations in durations of cases; for example, in December 2024, the average duration for public law cases was 24 weeks in Wales but 53 weeks in London (for private law, it...
Matched on
terms: shortage
CQC action
65match
The York Hospital
The trust should consider recruiting looked after children specialist nurses to support capacity for initial health reviews.
Matched on
terms: children, health
CQC action
65match
Scarborough Hospital
The trust should consider recruiting looked after children specialist nurses to support capacity for initial health reviews.
Matched on
terms: children, health
CQC action
65match
Pilgrim Hospital
The trust should ensure the, paediatric area within the Emergency Department, nursing and medical staffing requirements meet the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH).
Matched on
terms: health, staff
CQC action
65match
Kettering General Hospital
The servicemust ensure there are enough nursing staff to ensure safe staffing levels are maintained across the service in line with establishment reviews, trust policy and staffing requirements which meet the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health standards. This should include but not limited to consideration of demand, acuity and number of staff required.
Matched on
terms: health, staff
CQC action
64match
Diana Princess of Wales Hospital
The service must continue to appropriately recruit staff (specifically registered sick children’s nurses (RSCN) and ensure that there are sufficiently suitably qualified, competent and experienced staff on duty to meet the needs of patients. The emergency department was not meeting the Intercollegiate Emergency Standard to have sufficient RSCNs to provide two per shift.
Matched on
terms: children, staff
CQC action
64match
Bridlington Hospital
The service must ensure it has enough, suitably qualified, competent and experienced medical and nursing staff in its urgent and emergency care service at Scarborough hospital, to meet the RCEM recommendations, including enough staff who are able to treat children in an emergency care setting.
Matched on
terms: children, staff
Committee recommendation
64match
#36 - Eighth Report - Children and young people’s mental health
We are deeply concerned about the increasing numbers of children and young people who experience self-harm and suicide and the quality of care they are able to access. Much more needs to be done to tackle suicide and self-harm amongst children and young people. In particular, given the link between self-harm in children and young people and later...
Matched on
terms: children, health
Committee recommendation
63match
#2 - Fourth Report - The safety of maternity services in England
With 8 out of 10 midwives reporting that they did not have enough staff on their shift to provide a safe service, it is clear that urgent action is needed to address staffing shortfalls in maternity services. Evidence submitted to our inquiry estimates that as a minimum, there need to be 496 more obstetricians and 1,932 more midwives....
Matched on
terms: health, staff
Committee recommendation
63match
#51 - Tenth Report - The humanitarian situation in Tigray
The multiagency rapid needs assessment published in January 2021 noted there were no health services in the areas of Southern Tigray affected by the conflict, meaning that regular health service activities such as Maternal and Child Health, treatment of endemic diseases, and the supply of essential drugs for chronic illnesses had stopped.117 Many health facilities have few or...
Matched on
terms: children, health, staff