Analysis by the Starlight Children’s Foundation has identified a significant shortage of health play professionals across NHS hospitals in England, revealing a substantial gap between current staffing levels and recommended standards.
According to freedom of information data, across all NHS hospitals there are 955 full-time equivalent health play professionals currently supporting 21 million child hospital admissions annually. In England specifically, 820 professionals support nearly 17 million admissions. This creates a ratio of approximately one professional per 22,061 admissions, substantially lower than the recommended staffing level of one professional per 2,230 hospital admissions. Health play professionals support children through trauma and anxiety related to medical treatment by providing games, toys, and therapeutic activities.
Research indicates that these services produce measurable benefits for young patients. Positive healthcare experiences facilitated by play professionals have been shown to reduce distress, improve cooperation during treatment, and help prevent long-term healthcare avoidance and mental health issues stemming from traumatic childhood medical experiences. A teenager who underwent chemotherapy for acute lymphoblastic leukemia described how play specialists helped her manage anxiety, boredom, and the emotional challenges of treatment, while also providing necessary relief for her parents during an overwhelming period.
The charity’s investigation also found significant inequities in resource allocation. Only 23 percent of NHS trusts and health boards across the UK have dedicated budgets for training health play professionals, creating inconsistent access to services depending on geographic location. No integrated care boards have allocated specific health play budgets, and only 5 percent of integrated care boards include health play within their children and young people’s strategies.
Starlight’s chief executive stated that therapeutic play is essential rather than optional within children’s healthcare, helping young patients understand procedures, maintain a sense of control, and build trust with medical teams. An NHS spokesperson noted that the health service has collaborated with Starlight to develop guidance for improving health play services across England.
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