Hospitals running with 20% fewer children’s doctors than they need, new figures reveal

Hospitals across the UK are running with 20% fewer children’s doctors than they need on daily shifts, new research shows.

NHS staff are facing “unacceptable” pressures as paediatric units report a shortfall of 20 per cent in doctors and trainees on shift, the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) has warned.

Top doctors have said the government’s plans to bring down waiting lists would be “doomed to fail” if the workforce gaps for children’s services were not filled.

Professor Steve Turner, president of the RCPCH, said the gaps were having a detrimental impact on the wellbeing, morale and training of doctors and ultimately impacted patient care.

He said: “This report highlights how paediatricians are being stretched far too thin every day.  It is completely unacceptable that our current paediatric services are only operating at 80 per cent capacity when the level of demand on these services is now higher than ever…We cannot allow 80 per cent to become the new normal.

“Our children and the clinicians who serve them deserve more. Investing in and reforming paediatric services is not only valuable but is fundamental to the future health and economic wellbeing of our country.”

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Source: The Independent, 10 December 2024