Winter Waiting List Report

In 2017 Barnardos published two reports examining the issue of children waiting for health and developmental treatment. Our reports uncovered widespread delays and inconsistencies in the delivery of children’s health services. Significant delays in accessing treatment can have profound, long lasting impact on a child’s health, development and well-being. Lack of treatment can result in a childhood lost. Yet when a child is physically lost, the world takes notice. Search parties are formed. Front-page stories are printed. We are captivated by the terror and we will all work hard to find that child because we know it’s important. The same impetus must also apply when their childhood is being lost, yet unfortunately thousands of children continue to languish on waiting lists. All children deserve equitable access to healthcare, timely assessment of their need and treatment without delay. Barnardos is revisiting our examination of waiting lists to determine if there has been any improvement in the areas of speech and language therapy, mental health treatment and the assessment of need.

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Waiting Lists