Oct 20, 2023, US Time Post: Children waiting years for autism and cerebral palsy treatment as NHS chiefs slam government inaction https://ustimespost.com/children-waiting-years-for-autism-and-cerebral-palsy-treatment-as-nhs-chiefs-slam-government-inaction/
Children wait years for treatments for autism and cerebral palsy as NHS leaders accuse the government of ignoring warnings of a crisis in community care.
The number of patients waiting for charitable NHS services reached more than a million in August and new analysis has found that one in five of these patients are children. That was up from 940,000 in April as nonprofit services struggled to meet demand due to staffing shortages.
In some areas of England waiting times are so long that a 12-year-old who needs treatment may not receive it until he is 16, the NHS Community Services Network has warned.
The analysis, carried out by the NHS Confederation and NHS Providers, also found that 34,000 children waited more than 18 weeks for diagnosis and care, the maximum amount of time anyone should wait, Backlogs in spine and eye care are increasing rapidly.
Health service leaders accused ministers of shrugging off warnings about the problem, saying local services were struggling to keep up with demand due to depleted staffing levels and a lack of investment to address shortages….
“We have a real and growing problem with long waiting times in community services, but despite repeated warnings that neglecting these vital services is having a damaging impact on patients, these warnings appear to be met with a shrug of the shoulders from the government.”Leaders are working incredibly “Working hard to provide these essential services to patients, but struggling with a rising tide and need help,” he said.
Between October 2022 and August this year, the number of children waiting for community care services increased by 7 percent.
According to figures released by NHS England, there are 220,000 children on the waiting list for community services, out of just over a million. The longest waiting times were for children requiring speech and language therapy, with 3,458 waiting more than a year and 13,859 children waiting more than a year for community pediatric care covering complex disabilities, autism, learning disabilities and cerebral palsy.
About 40 percent of children on the waiting list stay on the waiting list longer than 18 weeks, compared to 15 percent of adults. And backlogs are growing for vision aids for children, where there is a 64 percent increase, and for orthotics for children who need back supports and equipment for spinal problems, where there is a 55 percent increase.
Mr Taylor called on the government in the forthcoming autumn statement to take “meaningful action” by investing money in prevention and additional funding for trusts to tackle the elective care backlog.
Sir Julian Hartley, chief executive of NHS Providers, which represents hospitals, said: “Too many children and young people are at risk of falling through gaps, particularly in the wake of the pandemic.” Delays in diagnosis, treatment and care can harm their mental and physical health and significantly affect their well-being. Providing help and support to children and young people in need as early as possible is crucial for their future life chances and tackling inequalities.”
He said community services were working “hard” to care for more patients, but demand for children’s services remained “stubbornly high”, making it difficult for providers to make progress in dealing with staffing shortages.
Sir Julian called for “cross-government” support for young people and their families as they face these long waits.
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “We are improving support for children, young people and their families by providing around £300 million [$365M] to fund a three-year Family Hubs and Start for Life program across 75 local authorities in England are already making a difference by bringing together services and support for families with babies and children of all ages.”
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