Care of children waiting for access to child health community services

We have launched an investigation that explores the care of children waiting for access to child health community services. Child health community services are NHS or related services that provide assessment, treatment and support for children and young people in community settings (such as clinics, schools, or at home), rather than in hospital. Child health community services support children with complex or long-term health and developmental needs by providing treatment, monitoring development, coordinating care across services, offering early support and identifying safeguarding needs.

We identified the need for this investigation after engagement with stakeholders, including representatives from national bodies and patient representative groups, to seek their insights in relation to patient safety issues associated with the care of children waiting for access to child health community services.

There was widespread concern about child health community services presenting some of the longest waits in the healthcare system and these delays contributing to lasting harm where interventions are critical to healthy childhood development.

We triangulated this evidence with additional sources including national datasets, national guidance documents and academic literature.

The investigation will seek to understand the care of children waiting for access to child health community services, including:

• Understanding responsibilities, including commissioning, governance and lines of accountability for managing risks on long (more than 18 weeks) and/or multiple waiting lists.
• Understanding the inequalities of cohorts of babies, children and young people may experience from long waiting lists to child health community services.
• Understanding how risks to babies, children and young people are managed across age transition points (excluding children to adult transition).

We are keen to hear from anybody with an interest in this subject matter. This includes patients, families, carers and health and care professionals who may wish to share their experience. If you would like to speak to us about this investigation before we publish the final report, please email investigations@hssib.org.uk.