Exploring children and their parents’ experiences in urgent treatment centres

Children under 18 represent 28% of the global population and are frequent users of healthcare services across various settings, including primary care, emergency departments, and hospital wards (United Nations, 2024). In recent years, increased demand for hospital-based urgent and outpatient services has been linked to difficulties accessing GP appointments (Simpson et al., 2022; Ruzangi et al., 2019). To alleviate pressure on emergency departments, services such as urgent treatment centres (UTCs), walk-in centres, and NHS 111 have been developed for children with non-life-threatening conditions (RCPCH, 2018; NHS England, 2023a). Younger children under five and their parents are particularly high users of these services (Blair et al., 2025), yet quality cannot be measured by clinical outcomes alone children’s experiences must also be considered (Ye et al., 2016; King et al., 2023).
Research consistently shows that children often feel scared, excluded from decisions, and underserved in terms of play and communication during healthcare encounters (Coyne et al., 2008; Clarke, 2021; Foster et al., 2022). They value clear, age-appropriate communication, emotional validation, and child-friendly environments. National guidance supports this, with NICE (2021), the National Children’s Bureau (2021), and the Department of Health (2023) all advocating for child involvement in care. However, a gap remains between listening to children and acting on their views (Koller et al., 2024).
Most existing evidence comes from studies with older children in paediatric-specific settings, such as hospital wards and outpatient clinics (Clarke, 2021; Lulgjuraj et al., 2023). In contrast, younger children aged 2–7 are underrepresented in research due to assumptions about their capacity to participate and ethical concerns (Brady et al., 2023; Larsson et al., 2018). Traditional research methods often fail to capture how younger children express their experiences, yet when supported by creative approaches, they can meaningfully share their views (NCB, 2021).
Despite the growing role of UTCs in urgent care delivery, little is known about children’s direct experiences in these settings. Existing research tends to focus on parental decision-making rather than children’s perspectives (Simpson et al., 2021; Malcolm et al., 2022). A rights-based approach, grounded in the UNCRC (1989), affirms children’s entitlement to express their views and be involved in decisions affecting their care. This study will explore the experiences of children aged 2–7 in UTCs, focusing on their voices, agency, and involvement in decision-making. By addressing this gap, it aims to inform the development of child-centred, rights-based urgent care services.
This qualitative study will use a critical ethnographic approach to explore children’s experiences of care in an Urgent Treatment Centre (UTC) and the factors shaping these experiences. A purposive sample of 30 children’s ‘journeys’ aged 2–7 years, their parents, and relevant healthcare professionals will be recruited.
A children’s research advisory group and a parent group have been consulted throughout the development of the study protocol and have contributed to the study methods and participant information materials, ensuring the study is child-centered and ethically informed.
Data collection will include walking interviews through participatory observations, informal questioning along the journey and creative age-appropriate methods to capture the perspectives of children, parents, and staff.
Data analysis will follow a two-phase approach, using reflexive thematic analysis to identify key patterns in experiences, and critical discourse analysis to interrogate the social, cultural, and institutional contexts shaping care.

This study aims to understand the experiences of younger children aged 2–7 years and their parents of receiving care within urgent treatment centres