Commenting on a report by the King’s Fund, which shows that 27% of children currently on a community waiting list have been waiting for at least 52 weeks for treatment, RCN General Secretary and Chief Executive, Professor Nicola Ranger, said:  

"This report is a devastating reminder of how children are being failed by our health system. Children require early intervention in the community to address health issues quickly to give them the best chance of living long and healthy lives. The fact that children are routinely waiting over a year for treatment is inhumane and only stores up problems that both the child and the health system will have to bear later down the line. 

"The health secretary will need to address this injustice if she is to fulfil her ambition on early years health, and that will require significant and sustained investment in the community nursing workforce to tackle the overwhelming backlog so that children receive the care they deserve at the right time. This includes the health visitor and school nurse workforce, who play a vital public health role in keeping children healthy and preventing long-term illness, but who have both had their numbers cut by over a third since 2010." 

ENDS

Notes to editors

King Fund's report -  What does the health and care system look like for children in England?