Some local paediatric services may be forced to close if surgeons who operate on children cannot get the necessary experience to maintain their skills, the Royal College of Surgeons has warned.

Its warning follows a critical report from the Healthcare Commission revealing that most surgeons in England and Wales who operate on children in common specialties are failing to carry out the recommended minimum level of 100 procedures involving children a year. In addition, most anaesthetists are falling short of the recommended 20 consultations with children each year.

A spokesperson for the Royal College of Surgeons said that there were strong arguments for treating non-specialist surgical operations such as …