A new report from Newlife has painted a worrying picture that there are a growing number of disabled children being let down due to a lack of access to essential support and specialist assistive technologies, such as wheelchairs, buggies, and beds.

One headline finding is that three-quarters of professionals are concerned there are children living without essential equipment, with only 39 percent of families feeling their child has all the specialist equipment they need.

In the past year, Newlife has worked closely with hundreds of families and professionals to understand their experiences with local services, particularly regarding specialist equipment. This was complemented by extensive Freedom of Information research of local authorities across the UK to discover how waiting times and equipment budgets are responding to the increasing demands.

The report states that despite a 60 percent increase of disabled children in the UK (at a total of 1.6 million) over the last 10 years, local services are struggling to cope with evolving pressures. This includes a holistic and proactive approach to equipment provision.

It emphasises that disabled children and their families are navigating a failing system that is too often leaving them without the specialist equipment and support they urgently need.

Four key themes have emerged from the report: a lack of leadership at government level, a shortage of suitable professionals, increasing waiting times for assessments, and insufficient equipment budgets.

Further findings from the report include that local services provided less specialist equipment in 2022/23 than the previous year, with 41 percent cutting their equipment budgets.

Additionally, there has been a 27 percent increase in disabled children waiting for assessment over the last two years – nearly a quarter of local authorities have waiting lists over one year, with some exceeding three.

80 percent of professionals are concerned by long waits in their area, 73 percent of whom attribute this to staff shortages.

Moreover, only a third of professionals are primarily trained in paediatrics, with two-thirds expressing a desire for further training relating to specialist equipment.

Based on the report’s findings, Newlife is urging policymakers to implement a series of cost-effective recommendations to break these barriers and secure a brighter future for disabled children. These recommendations are:

• Establish a dedicated Minister for Disabled Children with cross-departmental authority.
• Produce guidance outlining what equipment can be provided and by which service.
• Expand work placement programmes such as apprenticeships for paediatric professionals.
• Work with external organisations such as charities and manufacturers to improve equipment training.
• Implement maximum assessment waiting times.
• Increase equipment and adaptation budgets to meet rising demand.

Newlife’s recommendations have been backed by the British Healthcare Trades Association (BHTA).

Hayley Phillippault, Chair of BHTA Children’s Equipment Section, said: “Obtaining the right equipment at the right time has been demonstrated time and again to offer huge health, economic and wellbeing benefits to disabled children, their families and UK taxpayers.

“The forthcoming UK general election presents an opportunity to transform the life chances of these children and save vital NHS resources through the adoption of the six recommendations put forward in Newlife’s policy manifesto. The BHTA Children’s Equipment Section fully support these recommendations and urge the next government to implement them in full.”

Earlier this year, 110 charities and parent groups joined together to campaign for better support for disabled children and their families. The manifesto underlined that there is an urgent need to address funding shortfalls and create a dedicated fund for disabled children.