Children’s hospital admissions at an all-time high

22 Apr 2018

Children’s admissions to hospitals are at an all-time high, according to a written answer received by Miles Briggs, Scottish Conservative shadow health secretary.

The answer reveals that the number of children admitted to hospitals across Scotland has risen from 268,670 in 2010 to 310,496 in 2017.

This shows that 40,000 more children were admitted to hospital in 2017 than 2010, an increase of 16 per cent.

Recent reports have highlighted that there is no evidence of an increase in child ill-health and therefore this could be a result of a lack of GP availability.

The Scottish Conservative campaign ‘Save our surgeries campaign’ has called on the Scottish Government to support primary care and halt the decline in GP surgeries.

Miles Briggs, Scottish Conservative shadow health secretary said:

“No parent wants to take a child to A&E except under the most urgent of circumstances.

“We know that children are not becoming more ill so this substantial increase in admissions could be explained by the dwindling number of alternatives thanks to the SNP.

“This considerable increase in children’s admissions will be causing parents and children significant distress and contribute to increased pressure on A&E departments.

“The SNP has presided over a relentless decline in primary care and is, as a result, forcing sick children to be treated in unsuitable healthcare settings.

“Our campaign ‘Save our Surgeries’ calls for increased funding for primary care to boost recruitment and retention of GPs and, as a result, give more support to parents and children who need these services.”