A new report from Children’s Commissioner for England has revealed a “hidden crisis” where children with life-limiting conditions and disabilities are being kept in hospital longer than necessary due to gaps in social care and community support.

The report found that more than 260,000 children have spent three or more weeks in hospital, including nearly 70,000 who stayed over two months and around 1,300 who spent more than a year in hospital. Delays are often worsened by funding disputes between health and social care services, alongside poor data collection, meaning services do not fully understand how many children are affected or how long they are waiting.

Children from deprived backgrounds and ethnic minority communities are disproportionately impacted, raising concerns about inequality in access to care.

The report calls for urgent cross-government action, including expanded home nursing, better access to community care, improved coordination between services and stronger support for families, to ensure children can return home as soon as possible