One year waits for Welsh children has increased by over 20%

Waiting times continue to worsen for children and young people, 12 months on from landmark RCPCH report. 

Last year, Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) Wales published their ‘Worried and Waiting‘ report. The original report, published in February 2024, looked at data from 2016-2023 and highlighted the grave state of paediatric waiting times in Wales.  

One year later, the data published today shockingly reveals that waiting times for children have not only failed to improve but have, in fact, deteriorated, with over 56 thousand children waiting for treatment.  

Updated data shows that:  

·        The number of children waiting one year for treatment rose by 22%. 

·        The number of children waiting over a year for outpatient care rose by 32%.  

·        There was a 4% decrease in the number of children waiting over two years for treatment.  

·        The number of children presenting to A&E in January 2025 was 19,231 (aged 0-17). 

·        Children on patient pathways, plans often used by healthcare teams to ensure patients receive consistent, high-quality care, rose by 5% to 56,211.  

These figures paint a concerning picture of equal access to healthcare in Wales. 

Treatments for children are often time critical, and delays may affect physical milestones, communication skills, social development, confidence, and resilience. This means that children and their families are being disproportionately impacted by spiralling wait times, leading to school absences, lost opportunities for learning and socialisation, and worsening physical and mental health. 

RCPCH Officer for Wales, Dr Nick Wilkinson, said: 

“One year later from our first report and our children are still worried and sadly they are still waiting. With over 56 thousand children and young people stuck on a list, it is clear that child health needs urgent focus from government to put children first and prioritise Wales’s future. 

As a paediatrician this is deeply frustrating. We have identified the problem, set out the diagnosis and through our recommendations, outlined the cure for government. Last year’s report presented four core themes to enable effective change and if they had been rolled out, we might be much further along in the First Minister’s journey to achieving a Healthier Wales. 

The standard target, which aims to have 95% of patients waiting no longer than 26 weeks to start treatment, has not been met for those on the paediatric pathway since February 2020. This is a national scandal. No child should be experiencing long wait times, and as a paediatrician I see firsthand the damaging impact long waits for treatment have on children and their families, and how long-term health inequalities can be exacerbated as a result. From an economic perspective, children are the future of our society, and it is a no brainer to ensure they are as healthy and supported as can be. But fundamentally, children deserve to receive adequate and timely care, it is their right.” 

Children’s Commissioner for Wales, Rocio Cifuentes, said:  

“While the First Minister has stated that her government’s key priority is reducing the longest waiting times, this data shows that the number of babies, children and young people waiting for over a year has increased significantly.   

Thousands of children are waiting far too long for what can be life changing treatments. The impact of waiting without the clinical interventions they need can be traumatic for a baby, child, or young person, and could seriously affect their development.  

I worry that, without a specific focus on child health from the Welsh Government, including having a child health workforce strategy as called for by the Royal College, we risk continuing to see the number of children and young people waiting over a year rise significantly. Welsh Government must clearly set out its plan for tackling these waits, including implementing RCPCH’s recommendations.”