Every child should be able to access timely and appropriate support for their mental or physical health, whenever they need it.
While waiting lists are a necessary tool for managing service demand, it is known that long wait times can be linked to emotional distress and additional difficulties for children and their care givers.1
Using the voices of children and adults who contacted Childline and the NSPCC Helpline in 2024/25, this briefing highlights the impact long healthcare waiting lists can have on children’s lives, including:
- worsening mental and physical health, leading some into harmful ways of coping
- strain on personal relationships and parents struggling to support children alone
- disruption to education, including difficulties concentrating, falling behind or missing school entirely
- erosion of trust in services and ability to seek further help in the future.
References
Eichstedt, J.A., et al (2024) Waitlist management in child and adolescent mental health care: A scoping review. Children and Youth Services Review, vol 160, 107529
