Providers Deliver: putting young people at the heart of care

Welcome to the latest report in our Providers Deliver series which aims to share and celebrate the work of NHS trusts and foundation trusts. 

In its election manifesto, the government pledged to ‘raise the healthiest generation of children in our history’ (Labour Party Manifesto, 2024). Access to high quality and timely care is vital to achieving these ambitions and improving children and young people’s health outcomes.

Our latest edition of Providers Deliver shows how trusts are working to improve services for children and young people across sectors. This is an area that is very close to my heart. As a former president of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, I have long advocated for the prioritisation of children and young people in national health policy and within the NHS.

Our report showcases new and innovative initiatives to support children and young people to access the care they need. Humber Teaching NHS Foundation Trust is coproducing services with children and young people through the Humber Youth Action Group, which is heavily involved in service design and improvement. London North West University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is working closely with local partners to establish integrated neighbourhood teams to better support families close to where they live. Alder Hey Children’s NHS Foundation Trust is also working innovatively by harnessing digital interventions to empower children and young people to manage their health and provide greater access to care in the community. Wirral Community Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust worked with teenagers to develop a sexual health service that meets the needs of people aged 13 to 19. I personally welcome these case studies which resonate with the ‘shifts’ planned for the NHS. From hospital to community in north west London and the Humber; from analogue to digital in Liverpool; and from treatment to prevention in the Wirral.

However, trust leaders remain increasingly concerned by the extraordinary level of demand for children and young people’s services and the length of time some are being forced to wait for treatment. Providers tell us (NHS Providers, 2024) they are struggling to meet rising demand which means too many children and young people are doing without the right care and support. This has detrimental impacts for both their physical and mental health, as well as their wider social and educational development.

Long waiting times for services not only impact children and young people in the here and now but will also have a significant impact on their future outcomes and life chances. Many long-term health conditions (NHS Providers, 2024) have their origins during childhood and so it is vital that interventions are carried out during this critical period. 

As the government seeks to drive economic growth and ‘get Britain working’, (Gov.UK, 2024) the health and wellbeing of children and  young people must be a key priority to ensure a healthy and thriving workforce and society for the future. For too long, children and young people have not been prioritised at a national level, with devastating long-term effects for individuals and their families, as well as to the NHS and the economy. 

The examples in this report show how committed trust leaders are to improving the outcomes and experiences of children and young people but further national action is needed. We are calling on the government to prioritise children and young people in all national policy making, and particularly the upcoming 10-year health plan and Comprehensive Spending Review – because children matter.

Sir Terence Stephenson
Chair
NHS Providers