Children are being put at risk as vital community services struggle to keep pace with demand, health leaders have warned.
The NHS Confederation says services are under ‘extraordinary pressure’ with some children and young people facing long waits for essential speech and language therapy, autism diagnoses and community paediatric services.
A survey found on average children had to wait 40 weeks for an initial assessment and a further 32 weeks for treatment.
The confederation, the membership body for organisations that commission and provide NHS services, says there must be co-ordinated action and investment by the Government to deal with the problem.
In a recent survey it found more than three quarters of community provider leaders were ‘extremely concerned’ about the impact of long waits for children and young people’s services.
Almost nine in 10 respondents reported that current waiting times for initial assessment and treatment had increased compared to before the COVID pandemic.
The confederation’s chief executive Matthew Taylor said: ‘Children and young people’s community services are now under extraordinary pressure, and we must see them given the same level of priority as the elective backlog, coupled with action from across government.’
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