Changes in adolescents’ planned hospital care during the COVID-19 pandemic: analysis of linked administrative data

OBJECTIVE: To describe changes in planned hospital care during the pandemic for vulnerable adolescents receiving children’s social care (CSC) services or special educational needs (SEN) support, relative to their peers. DESIGN: Observational cohort in the Education and Child Health Insights from Linked Data database (linked de-identified administrative health, education and social care records of all children in England). STUDY POPULATION: All secondary school pupils in years 7–11 in academic year 2019/2020 (N=3 030 235). MAIN EXPOSURE: Receiving SEN support or CSC services. MAIN OUTCOMES: Changes in outpatient attendances and planned hospital admissions during the first 9 months of the pandemic (23 March–31 December 2020), estimated by comparing predicted with observed numbers and rates per 1000 child-years. RESULTS: A fifth of pupils (20.5%) received some form of statutory support: 14.2% received SEN support only, 3.6% received CSC services only and 2.7% received both. Decreases in planned hospital care were greater for these vulnerable adolescents than their peers: −290 vs −225 per 1000 child-years for outpatient attendances and −36 vs −16 per 1000 child-years for planned admissions. Overall, 21% of adolescents who were vulnerable disproportionately bore 25% of the decrease in outpatient attendances and 37% of the decrease in planned hospital admissions. Vulnerable adolescents were less likely than their peers to have face-to-face outpatient care. CONCLUSION: These findings indicate that socially vulnerable groups of children have high health needs, which may need to be prioritised to ensure equitable provision, including for catch-up of planned care postpandemic.