Data released under a Freedom of Information request reveals the number of children facing very long waits to be admitted to hospital across the UK.
It shows at least 20,000 waits of more than a year for treatment including surgery.
Most of these long waits are in England – approaching 16,000 at the start of this month, up 15% in a year.
Before the pandemic, it was extremely rare for children to wait more than a year for surgery.
Trusts in England say children must be explicitly prioritised by the government, including more funding to allow trusts to commission more surgery.
NHS England, which runs the health service in England, said it recognised it could be distressing for families who were waiting for a child to have surgery. It said it was increasing the number of ring-fenced beds for paediatric surgery, in addition to critical care beds.
The Department of Health added that NHS England had set up a task force specifically aimed at bringing down waiting times for children’s surgery.
In Wales, the Department of Health told us it was putting more money into the NHS and prioritising reducing long waits for children.
Scotland’s Department of Health said it was maximising productivity and targeting extra resources at driving down waiting times for children – particularly the longest waits.
Overall, across the UK, the number of children being seen privately since 2019, before the pandemic, is up 38%.
The figures, from the Private Healthcare Information Network, do not include NHS trusts using private hospitals to provide treatment.
They show the number of children having surgery privately rose almost a fifth last year to over 24,000.
Children aged 15 to 17 are the biggest patient group for surgery. The most common procedures are the insertion of grommets in the ears, removal of tonsils and adenoids, and orthopaedic surgery.
