Scotland needs over 100 more children’s doctors, according to experts

A report from the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) found that a total of 752 more paediatric consultants are needed during the busiest hours across struggling UK hospitals, with 84 to 110 of these required in Scotland.
The 2017 audit highlighted that half of paediatric units in Scotland had a consultant present for 12 hours a day or more, which is lower than the 57.7% average recorded across the UK. 80% of units said they could provide GPs with immediate telephone advice from a paediatric consultant if this was needed, which is below the 86.2% UK average.

RCPCH believes the Scottish Government must fund an increase in training places to provide an additional 84 to 110 specialist consultants to alleviate the situation.
Dr Carol Ewing, RCPCH vice president for health policy, said: “It is down to the sheer dedication of our doctors that children are being treated as safely as they possibly can on paediatric wards in the UK but the risk of ‘burnout’ is all too real.”

She added: “To improve the care delivered by units, it is vitally important they meet each and every one of the standards set out in this audit. However, as we have seen from our hospital visits, units are only going to be able to do this if they have the resources in place to support them. In order to meet three key standards – children seen by a consultant within 14 hours of admission, two consultant-led handovers and presence at peak times – paediatric departments need increased consultant presence from around 8am to 10pm. The growth in the paediatric workforce is crucial if this is to happen.”