Children’s futures are at risk amid worsening delays in access to dental, mental health and physical healthcare, warns the nation’s health watchdog. The barriers to accessing timely care are not only an immediate risk but can also lead to them becoming adults with long-term illnesses as a result, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) said in its annual report. This year’s report comes just over a week after a damning review into the CQC insisted there is an “urgent need for a rapid turnaround” of the watchdog owing to “significant failings” in how it works.
The health inspectorate said its latest report on the quality of care in England that rates for people attending urgent and emergency care living in the most deprived areas of England were almost double those for people in the least deprived areas in the year to March, while for those attending for mental health reasons, the difference was more than three times higher. The report, published on Friday, stated: “Many children and young people are not currently getting the support they need. We are highlighting this as a risk not just for today, but for the future.
“Children who do not receive the care they need today are at increased risk of becoming adults with long-term mental or physical illnesses, which could affect their quality of life and their ability to contribute to society tomorrow.” Acknowledging the good care received by some, the regulator said: “Sadly, for every child who gets ‘lucky’ by .