The view from frontline trusts is clear: children and young people’s services are struggling to keep up with demand. The complexity and acuity of patients is rising, placing pressure on integrated services and joined up pathways. Health inequalities are widening as a result. While wider operational pressures and staff shortages are undoubtedly compounding these pressures, children and young people’s services face the double disadvantage of a long-term lack of prioritisation which needs to be addressed.
Despite this very challenging environment, NHS leaders are progressing important work locally to tackle these issues. Trusts are often doing this by collaborating with partners from both within and outside the NHS, including local authorities, schools and the voluntary sector: the challenges to improving the health and wellbeing of the next generation will require genuine system working, involving a wide range of public and voluntary sector partners.
To help support and progress the work being led locally, children and young people need greater national prioritisation– otherwise they risk becoming a forgotten generation. Children and young people’s services have not been given the right level of focus; there must now be parity with adult services. The new government must take urgent action to support trusts and systems to make further, faster progress for children and young people.
The key to delivering meaningful change lies in prevention and early intervention. Improving the health of children and young people today will enable them to contribute fully to the future workforce, boost economic activity and help public services, including the NHS, to keep pace with demand. Intervening in childhood and adolescence is critical, or we risk storing up problems for the future.
In this report, we have set out a series of recommendations for government, NHSE and systems to tackle the challenges outlined and to improve outcomes for children and young people. NHS Providers looks forward to working alongside our members to support the government, NHSE and systems to make improvements to the provision of care for children and young people.