Exploring children’s and their parents’ Experiences within urgent treatment centres: PhD plan

Background:

Children under 18 are frequent users of urgent and outpatient care, yet their perspectives, especially those of younger children under 7, are rarely captured in research. Urgent Treatment Centres (UTCs), established to reduce attendance to Emergency Departments, must be responsive to the needs (RCPCH, 2018) and rights of children as outlined in the UNCRC (1989), including their right to be heard and involved in decisions about their care.

Aim:

To critically explore the experiences and perceptions of children aged 2–7 and their parents when receiving care in Urgent Treatment Centres

Methods:

This doctoral study is underpinned by a child rights-based approach and has been developed through three phases:
1. Patient and Public Involvement (PPI): Development of a Children’s Research Advisory Group (CRAG) and engagement with parents to co-design inclusive research tools and methods.
2. Systematic Literature Review: A PRISMA-guided review (PROSPERO CRD42025651940) to synthesise current evidence on experiences in walk-in urgent care.
3. Critical ethnographic study (Upcoming): Data will be collected through walking interviews, observations, and child-friendly creative methods. Reflexive Thematic Analysis and Critical Discourse Analysis will explore narrative themes and underlying power dynamics.

Results (in progress):

The systematic review is nearing completion, and preliminary findings confirm a lack of existing research focused on children's and parents' experiences in urgent care settings. The CRAG has been successfully established, with children meaningfully contributing to the development of research materials. Ongoing consultation with UTC staff, CRAG and parent advisory group to develop ethics application.

Conclusion:

This study will offer novel insights into how young children and their parents experience urgent care. By amplifying children’s voices and examining structural and interactional influences, it aims to inform more inclusive, rights-respecting models of care in UTCs.

References

Edge, D., Neill, S., Bray, L., Paisi, M. (2025) Children’s and parents’ experiences of receiving care in walk-in urgent care settings: A systematic review. PROSPERO. Available from:https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/view/CRD42025651940
RCPCH (2018) Facing the future – standards for children and young people in emergency care settings. Available: Facing the Future - standards for children and young people in emergency care settings | RCPCH [Accessed 26.6.25]
United Nations. (1989). The United Nations convention for the rights of the child. Available: Convention on the Rights of the Child text | UNICEF [Accessed 01.12.25]