Growing interest in weight-loss injections and evaluations for autism and ADHD has significantly contributed to the surge in NHS waiting lists for community healthcare, a recent analysis has found.

The waiting list for children’s community care services in England has experienced a staggering 58% rise since data collection began in 2022. In contrast, the adult waiting list has increased by 23% during the same period.

Among adults, the predominant reason for being on the waiting list is musculoskeletal complaints, including issues related to bones, joints, or muscles, which constitute 44% of the cases awaiting treatment.

However, the most dramatic growth has been observed in adult weight management services, where demand has skyrocketed by an astonishing 512%.

These services are designed to assist individuals with dietary, nutritional, and lifestyle guidance to aid in weight reduction, increasingly incorporating weight-loss injections as part of the regimen.

The report, presented by the Nuffield Trust and the Health Foundation think tanks, noted: “Even though the absolute increase isn’t as high as that for community pediatric or musculoskeletal services, the rapid rise is significant. This may be tied to the recent spike in interest for GLP-1 medications, such as Mounjaro and Ozempic, used for weight management.”

More than half (55 per cent) of children and young people on the list are waiting for community paediatric services, which are for those with developmental problems or disabilities.

These services include neurodevelopmental assessments, such as diagnosing and managing autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Jessica Morris, a Nuffield Trust fellow and author of the report

The report, said: ‘This may partly explain the overall growth in the waiting list for children and young people’s services, as we have previously reported a surge in demand for referrals and assessments for these conditions.’

The study further found that 21 per cent of children and young people on the waiting list are waiting for speech and language therapy services, such as for patients with communication, eating, drinking and swallowing problems.

Some 6 per cent of children on the waiting list are waiting for physiotherapy, 6 per cent for audiology services and 6 per cent for occupational therapy.

Overall, waits for children and young people are much longer than for adults, with almost one in four waiting more than a year and one in 15 waiting over two years.

The report notes that the number of NHS staff has increased much more in hospitals than in the community.

Between 2010 and 2025, the number of nurses working in community settings increased by 1 per cent, while the number of adult hospital nurses increased by 42 per cent and children’s hospital nurses increased by 93 per cent.

Jessica Morris, a Nuffield Trust fellow and author of the briefing, said: ‘Children across the country are waiting far too long for the community care they desperately need.

‘For the families affected it can feel like life is on hold while they’re stuck waiting for support.

Carli Whittaker, head of nursing at the Royal College of Nursing

‘To take just one example, many children on the list are in urgent need of life-changing speech and language therapy because of difficulties with communicating or swallowing.

‘The increasing number of people living with long-term conditions together with our aging population mean that more and more people are likely to need support from community health services in the coming years.

‘The Government’s health plans recognise the importance of community services and include laudable aims to expand them, but our analysis shows how difficult realising that goal will be when existing community services are already on their knees.’

Carli Whittaker, head of nursing at the Royal College of Nursing, said: ‘This report highlights the devastating consequences of the ongoing failure to invest in community nursing, with workforce numbers nowhere near enough to meet demand.

‘Since 2009, the number of school nurses and health visitors alone have collapsed by a third, pushing waiting lists up and leaving children and young people without access to care.

‘It is unacceptable that a generation has been let down and now faces the prospect of long-term ill-health throughout their lives.

‘If ministers are serious about prevention and moving more care away from hospitals, the upcoming workforce plan must deliver significant and urgent investment in community nursing.

‘Only new and sustained investment can ensure there are enough expert community nurses embedded in every community, and that children and young people get the care they need.’