Member's statement: Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health: Healthcare Report
Member's statement by Mr Colin McGrath on .
- MLA
- Mr Colin McGrath
- Party at the time
- Social Democratic and Labour Party
- Date
- 1 July 2025
- Type
- Member's statement
- Business
- Members' Statements
- Heading
- Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health: Healthcare Report
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 5061123
Read the official Assembly record
Text
Last week saw the launch in Parliament Buildings of a report from the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH). The report is an absolute wake-up call to us all. The facts are stark. Between September 2020 and September 2023, the number of children who were waiting for community paediatric services in Northern Ireland soared by 86%, rising from just over 5,300 children to over 10,000 children. The number of children who were waiting more than two years tripled, reaching 2,223. Behind those numbers are children who are waiting too long for help, parents who are struggling to get answers and families whose children are losing critical development time. Delays to accessing support for autism, ADHD, developmental disorders and mental health concerns do not just affect the here and now but shape educational outcomes, life chances and future economic contribution. If we miss the intervention window, we will not only fail children but add more cost and pressure to the adult system down the line. Moreover, there is a postcode lottery for services across trusts. That is unacceptable. The RCPCH's report shows that there are huge inconsistencies in provision, pathways and waiting times.
The Belfast Trust alone had 600 children waiting more than two years for community paediatric care at the end of 2024.
We also have to remember the workforce. Of the paediatricians surveyed, 88% said that demand outstrips capacity. Many described persistent shortages that predate COVID. Recruitment struggles, underinvestment and burnout are the hallmarks of a system that feels that it is being left behind. The royal college calls for a regional action plan, sustainable investment, real data, better coordination and integrated neurodevelopmental services. Those are not new ideas, however: they are common-sense, long overdue and utterly essential. I say this clearly to the Health Minister and the Executive: why are our children waiting for over two years for basic care? Why is there no regional strategy for community paediatrics despite repeated warnings? How many more reports, reviews and statistics do we need before we see some action? Our children deserve better. The report shows what must be done, and we now need to see the political will to do it.
364 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
Assessment
Jev’s structured answers met the documented threshold for “not flagged”.
- Overall probability that the activity is being used to promote, exploit or escalate an identity-based controversy: 0.03 (flagging needs at least 0.70; at or below 0.30 is not flagged).
- None of the five culture-war criteria was met (each was below 0.60).
- Assessed as legitimate policy scrutiny (0.97).
- No identity-based framing was identified (1.00).
- Subject area: Disability (including neurodivergence and mental health), disabled people and disability or sickness benefits.
- The overall probability was at or below the not-flagging threshold.
This is an AI-generated assessment of the text, made against published criteria. It is not a finding of fact about the MLA or their intentions. The Assembly record itself is the fact.
Jev’s structured answers
| Question | Probability | Met? |
|---|---|---|
| Identity framing | 0.02 | No |
| Sectarian or communal antagonism | 0.02 | No |
| Cultural grievance politics | 0.01 | No |
| Dog-whistle messaging | 0.02 | No |
| Controversy escalation | 0.02 | No |
| Legitimate policy scrutiny | 0.97 | Yes |
| Overall judgement | 0.03 | At or below not-flagging threshold |
| Option | Probability |
|---|---|
| No identity-based framing (chosen) | 1.00 |
| Reports or questions it | 0.00 |
| Criticises or condemns it | 0.00 |
| Adopts it | 0.00 |
| Subject | Probability |
|---|---|
| Disability (including neurodivergence and mental health), disabled people and disability or sickness benefits | 0.96 |
| No identity-related subject | 0.03 |
| Sexism, misogyny, ageism and other equality groups | 0.01 |
| Flags, emblems, symbols, names and memorials | 0.00 |
| Parades, bonfires and commemorations | 0.00 |
Assessed 21 October 2026 at 12:57 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.
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