A leading children’s charity has documented significant staffing shortages among health play professionals in English hospitals, workers who support children through the anxiety and trauma associated with medical treatment. These professionals use games, toys, and structured activities to help young patients cope with hospital experiences.
According to freedom of information data gathered by Starlight Children’s Foundation, NHS hospitals across the UK currently employ only 955 full-time equivalent health play professionals to manage approximately 21 million child hospital admissions annually. In England specifically, 820 professionals support nearly 17 million admissions. The current staffing ratio stands at approximately one professional per 22,061 admissions, substantially below the recommended standard of one professional per 2,230 admissions. Research indicates that health play support reduces distress in young patients, improves their cooperation with treatment, and can prevent long-term mental health complications and healthcare avoidance stemming from traumatic childhood medical experiences.
The charity’s analysis also revealed disparities in resource allocation. Only 23% of NHS trusts and health boards across the UK maintain dedicated budgets for training health play professionals, creating uneven access to these services across different regions. Additionally, no integrated care board has a dedicated health play budget, and only 5% of integrated care boards include health play within their children and young people’s strategies.
Starlight’s chief executive emphasized that play serves a clinical function beyond entertainment, helping children understand medical procedures, maintain a sense of control, build trust with healthcare staff, and manage fear surrounding treatment. An NHS spokesperson indicated the health service has collaborated with Starlight to develop guidance for improving health play services, working with healthcare professionals to design welcoming and therapeutic environments for young patients.
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