CQC reports sharp rise in NHS waiting times for children in England

Children across England are facing unprecedented delays in accessing essential healthcare, with thousands trapped on waiting lists that are among the longest in the history of the National Health Service, according to a landmark regulatory assessment published on Friday, 23 October 2026. While certain adult elective waiting lists and general practice access points have shown signs of recovery, young people are bearing the brunt of soaring demand, chronic understaffing, and a fracturing community infrastructure. The findings, released in the annual state of care report by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), paint a grim picture of child health, where vulnerable patients are left to languish for months or years while their conditions compound in severity.

The core of the crisis rests within community health services, which exist to support children outside of hospital settings—including those dealing with complex conditions, developmental disorders, and safeguarding needs. According to the CQC report, over 80,000 minors have been waiting more than a year for an appointment in these services. The regulator noted that children are nearly 11 times more likely than adults to face waits exceeding twelve months, a disparity that experts have labelled entirely unacceptable.

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Dr Ronny Cheung, officer for health services at the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH), condemned the delays through Care Appointments, stating:

"It is wholly unacceptable that more than one in four children still wait over a year for treatment, and without urgent action, too many more will be left to suffer unnecessarily. As a paediatrician, I am sick of seeing children wait so long for support that they miss crucial opportunities to improve their health and development."

Dr Ronny Cheung, Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, via Care Appointments

Behind these statistics, families are pushed to breaking point as children struggle at school and their underlying conditions deteriorate while waiting for early intervention.

Mental health support systems are experiencing parallel strains. The CQC report reveals that the monthly average of children waiting for initial contact rose by 31%, climbing from 237,590 to 311,070.

Compounding these acute pressures is a severe erosion of preventative and early-years workforces. The CQC highlighted that health visitor and school nurse numbers continue to decline despite rising demand. Separate research cited by Social Care Today indicates that school nursing numbers plummeted by 38% between January 2010 and June 2026. Furthermore, stark regional health inequalities persist across England. Hospital admissions for bronchiolitis in young children remain more than 50% higher than a decade ago, while children living in the most deprived communities experience twice the level of tooth decay compared to those in affluent areas.

The Department of Health and Social Care defended its record by pointing to inherited structural challenges from the 2024 election. A spokesperson for the department stated, as reported by The Guardian:

"While the CQC recognises signs of progress on waiting lists, cancer care and general practice, patients and families rightly expect faster improvements – which is why the secretary of state has committed to go further to end corridor care, transform support for mothers and children, and deliver a new national care service."

Department of Health and Social Care Spokesperson, via The Guardian

As the government prepares to publish a new mental health strategy, healthcare leaders and regulatory officials continue to press for comprehensive reform across the health and social care sectors. Observers and families will be watching closely to see whether upcoming policy decisions and funding commitments can bridge the widening gap between surging demand and available treatment for children across England.