Leading doctors claim the NHS lacks the staffing and capacity to deal with the number of children visiting A&E departments.

Figures show there were 6.3 million attendances last year, a rise of nearly a million since 2018.

St George’s in Tooting, Epsom & St Helier, and Royal Surrey hospitals have reported staff shortages affecting A&E and diagnostics.

The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health says more funding should be directed at primary care, such as GPs and clinics.

Professor Steve Turner, the group’s president, says a lot of hospital visits aren’t necessary.