Julian presses Prime Minister on paediatric waiting time targets
October 12, 2022
At Prime Minister’s Questions today, Julian asked the Prime Minister to review waiting time targets for paediatric care to ensure York’s young children can receive the care they need as soon as possible.
This follows a visit to York Hospital children’s wards last month where Julian met doctors, nurses and staff who ensure our city’s young people receive the best care when they need it most. It was in discussions on the ward that Julian was shocked to learn that waiting time targets were the same for children as they were for adults.
Julian has previously raised concerns that post-pandemic waiting times could result in a health crisis worse than Covid-19. It was therefore reassuring to see the new Health Secretary, Therese Coffey, prioritise shifting backlogs as part of her ABCD (ambulances, backlog, care, doctors and dentists) plan for the NHS. This will build on the Delivery Plan for Tackling Covid-19 Backlogs published in February this year which was backed by more than £8 billion in funding from 2022 and 2023 to 2024 and 2025 and supported by a £5.9 billion investment in capital for new beds, equipment and technology.
Speaking after leaving the House of Commons chamber, Julian said:
“I am pleased I could raise awareness of paediatric waiting times and ensure it is a priority for the Government. Any delay to treatment for children could potentially have an impact on their long-term development so it is of the upmost important that our young people are treated as urgently as possible.
My visit to York Hospital was an excellent opportunity to thank the staff for all they do and learn about the unique challenges for paediatric care. In York, we are incredibly fortunate to have such dedicated teams to treat and care for our children so I want to offer them all the support I can.
I will continue to follow this issue closely and raise it directly with the Health Secretary as well to ensure it remains firmly on the Government’s agenda”
