A charity analysis has identified critical staffing shortages of health play professionals across NHS hospitals in England. These workers provide therapeutic support to children undergoing medical treatment through organized play, games, and activities designed to reduce anxiety and trauma associated with hospitalization.
According to figures obtained by Starlight Children’s Foundation through freedom of information requests, NHS hospitals across the United Kingdom currently employ 955 full-time equivalent health play professionals to support 21 million child hospital admissions annually. This translates to approximately one professional for every 22,061 admissions. The recommended staffing ratio is one professional per 2,230 hospital admissions. In England specifically, 820 health play professionals are supporting nearly 17 million admissions.
Research indicates that health play support can reduce child distress, improve cooperation with medical procedures, and prevent long-term mental health issues and healthcare avoidance stemming from traumatic childhood medical experiences. A case study involved a child who underwent 26 months of hospital treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukemia starting at age three. The child later reported that health play professionals significantly reduced anxiety and helped address fears such as hair loss through therapeutic activities and supportive tools.
Beyond staffing shortages, Starlight’s investigation revealed additional resource challenges. Only 23% of NHS trusts and health boards across the United Kingdom maintain dedicated budgets for training health play professionals, creating geographic disparities in service availability. No integrated care boards have allocated dedicated health play budgets, and only 5% of integrated care boards include health play within their children and young people’s strategies.
The NHS stated it has collaborated with Starlight to develop guidance aimed at improving health play services across England. An NHS spokesperson indicated that the guidance, developed with numerous healthcare professionals, is assisting local health systems in creating welcoming and therapeutic environments for infants and children.
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