Provision of Healthcare for Children in Hospital

Despite being one of the world’s wealthiest nations — ranked as the 6th largest economy by Global Citizen Solutions in 2025 — the United Kingdom continues to face persistent challenges in the health and well-being of children in comparison to other European countries.

A glance at UK child health rankings

The UK has and still lags behind its European counterparts in child wellbeing. The 2025 UNICEF report ranked the UK 21st out of 36 countries on child wellbeing. They also found that:

The UK is in the bottom third of countries with data on mental health.
Findings on adolescent life satisfaction are particularly worrying, with the UK scoring joint second from last.
The UK is in the middle third of countries for physical health.
Post-Pandemic, children in wealthy countries are more likely to underperform at school, be overweight and obese, and feel less happy with their lives.

This article delves into the current state of healthcare provision for children in UK hospitals, with updated statistics and resources for parents.

How many children attend hospital in the UK?

According to the 2024 Children and Young People’s Survey, feedback shows that

25,821 children aged 0 to 15 were admitted to the hospital between March and May 2024.
In the UK during the 2023/24 period, there were 829,009 emergency admissions to A&E for individuals under 18 years old.

Image credit – Nuffield Trust

Hospital admissions by gender & age

Girls are generally admitted to hospitals more often than boys, especially in younger age groups. At the end of 2023, it was reported that “babies under the age of one have the highest rate of A&E attendance compared to any other age group, and the rate of 0-4 year olds attending A&E has increased by 42% in the last 10 years.”

Here are some reasons young people attend the hospital:

Pregnancy and childbirth complications.
Pneumonia.
Urinary tract infections.
Mental health issues like depression and bipolar disorder.
Self-harm is also a major concern, with girls being admitted for self-inflicted injuries at higher rates than boys.

Declining childhood vaccination rates in the UK

Over the past decade, NHS data has shown a consistent decline in childhood vaccination coverage across the UK. This downward trend has raised alarms among health professionals and paediatricians, including the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, who warn of the growing risk of disease outbreaks such as measles, mumps, and whooping cough. Following this, the UK Government have announced that significant changes will be made to the childhood vaccinations from 1 July 2025.

According to GOV UK, there has been a consistent decline in uptake of the childhood vaccination programme over the last decade. In areas where vaccination uptake is lower, the chances of an outbreak of infectious disease are increased.

Dental health remains a major issue

Tooth decay continues to be the leading cause of hospital admission among children aged 5–9. For the financial year 2022 to 2023, there were 47,581 episodes of tooth extractions in NHS hospitals for 0 to 19-year-olds.

Although oral health among children is improving overall, a significant number still suffer from tooth decay, often leading to hospital visits for extractions. To support better oral health, it’s essential to adopt preventive habits such as brushing with fluoride toothpaste, reducing sugar consumption, and attending regular dental check-ups from an early age.

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on child hospitalisation

During the early COVID-19 pandemic, patterns of hospitalisation for children shifted dramatically. A 2021 Public Health England study revealed:

A 2.5x increase in admissions for swallowing foreign objects like button batteries and magnets during the 2020 lockdown.
66% of these required surgical intervention — up from 33% in 2019.

Where are the UK’s children’s hospitals?

As of 2025, the UK has 27 dedicated children’s hospitals distributed across England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland.

Notable institutions include:

Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) – London
Alder Hey Children’s Hospital – Liverpool
Birmingham Children’s Hospital
Royal Hospital for Children – Glasgow

These centres offer specialist services such as oncology, rare diseases, and organ transplantation.

Preparing children for a hospital stay

Preparation can ease a child’s anxiety. The charity What? Why? Children in Hospital (WWCIH) continues to provide free videos and resources to help children understand medical procedures through the eyes of other young patients.

Tips for Parents:

Use toy doctor kits to help children role-play procedures.
Introduce them to hospital gowns in advance.
Watch child-friendly videos that explain tests, scans, and surgeries.
Talk about Health Play Specialists, who use therapeutic play to explain treatments using soft toys and medical tools.

Some hospitals even operate “Teddy Bear Hospitals”, where children treat plush toys in mock medical scenarios. Children typically wear hospital patient gowns when they are undergoing procedures. Interweave Healthcare provides baby and child hospital gowns to NHS Trusts for this purpose.

Consent & medical procedures: What is Gillick competence?

Understanding your child’s rights in the hospital is crucial.

Children under 16 can give consent to treatment if deemed Gillick competent, meaning they understand the nature and consequences of the procedure.
Over 16s are assumed to have the capacity to consent, in accordance with the Family Law Reform Act 1969.

According to The 2024 Children and Young People’s Survey:

Nearly 9 in 10 (87%) young people aged 12 to 15 years were involved in decisions about their care and treatment as much as they wanted to be.
More than 9 in 10 (92%) parents and carers of children aged 0 to 15 years said they were involved as much as they wanted to be.
More than 7 in 10 (73%) children and young people aged 8 to 15 said that they were ‘very well’ looked after in hospital.

For parents, the NHS provides a comprehensive guide on what to expect during a hospital stay, including advice on staying overnight and supporting your child emotionally.