The finding emerged in the Healthcare Commission's first majorexamination of children's services. The commission, which ensures healthauthorities put into practice national standards for children'shealthcare, looked at all the services children receive in Englishhospitals.
Previous surveys have only looked at areas traditionally consideredrelevant to children, such as paediatric wards.
Almost a third of hospitals scored the bottom rating in emergency caresettings such as accident and emergency (A&E) wards. Hospitals alsofailed to provide child-friendly areas and there was not enoughpaediatric cover for emergencies.
Around a quarter of the children in the UK - between two and 2.5 million- are treated in A&E departments each year.
Dr Pat Hamilton, president of the Royal College of Paediatrics and ChildHealth, described the research findings as "disappointing but notsurprising".
Register Now to Continue Reading
Thank you for visiting Children & Young People Now and making use of our archive of more than 60,000 expert features, topics hubs, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:
What's Included
-
Free access to 4 subscriber-only articles per month
-
Email newsletter providing advice and guidance across the sector
Already have an account? Sign in here
