We respond to Lord Darzi's report on the state of the NHS in England.
The NHS independent investigation to review the current state of the NHS in England has revealed that ‘NHS budget is not being spent where it should be—too great a share is being spent in hospitals, too little in the community, and productivity is too low’.
Starlight research has shown that for children in hospital, play can reduce the trauma, anxiety and stress associated with treatment and medical procedures.
Play can decrease the length of hospital stays, the need for more appointments and the risk of mental health problems in the future. Play is often not seen as priority and the majority of NHS Trusts do not have a designated budget for play.
Cathy Gilman, Chief Executive of Starlight, said:
“Starlight recognises the demands on the stretched resources of the NHS. We can demonstrate that play isn’t just effective for transforming children’s health, it’s important for the health of the NHS.
"Play offers time efficiencies and cost savings in the short and long term for the NHS. Having to sedate children, call in additional healthcare professionals or not even being able to do a simple procedure like a blood test first time round costs time and money.”