🎬 Waiting for Our Rights: A Stop Motion by Health Rights Defenders

This #BeHappy Thursday, we’re proud to launch something extraordinary—a stop motion film created by our brilliant Health Rights Defenders, sharing what it’s really like to be a child in Scotland on a waiting list.

🎞️ “Waiting for Our Rights” is more than just a film. It’s a bold, creative expression of the stress, worry, and uncertainty that children and young people experience while waiting for healthcare. Through stop motion animation, our Defenders have brought their feelings to life—frame by frame—with honesty, humour, and heart.

💬 As Elodie, age 9, puts it:

“I don’t think children should be on waiting lists. It’s a long time to wait and it can make you feel very anxious. It’s hard to understand as a child.”

This film is their way of saying: “We’re here. We matter. And we deserve better.”

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🧠 What We Heard from the Health Rights Defenders

Our Defenders didn’t just make a film—they shared real, thoughtful ideas about how to make waiting lists more rights-respecting and child-friendly:

• Clear communication:
  

  “I think it just needs to be really clear what a waiting list is… One of my rights is to be able to ask questions and make decisions and you can’t do that if you need to wait months.” – Niamh, 15

• Respect for rights:
  

  “Waiting lists don’t really respect our Health Rights. It doesn’t give us information in a way that is easy to understand and stops us from being able to make decisions.” – Sam, 14

• Time matters:
  

  “You should only be on one for 1 month and that is all. 1 month is a long time to wait for a child anyway.” – Ruaridh, 10

• Support while waiting:
  Children want a trusted adult they can contact, like Rhianne from Children’s Health Scotland, and access to programmes like SMS that help them cope while they wait.
• Letters that speak to children:
  They want letters that are colourful, friendly, and clear—with timelines, resources, and even a visual progress tracker to help them understand where they are on the journey.

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🗣️ A Message from Our Chief Executive, Helen Forrest

“This film is a powerful reminder that children are the experts in their own lives. Adults have a bad habit of deciding what children need without actually listening to them. We must stop speaking for children and start learning from them. ‘Waiting for Our Rights’ was made by children, for children—they did the stop animation, the narration, and shared their stories. It’s their voice, their experience, and their truth. Our National My Health, My Rights Campaign and Charter exist to support our Health Rights Defenders, but until professionals stand up and truly listen, we will not be upholding the UNCRC—and children will continue waiting for their rights.”

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🌟 Why This Matters on #BeHappy Thursday

Today we’re asking a vital question: Can children truly #BeHappy when they’re #WaitingOnOurRights?

The answer from our Health Rights Defenders is clear—no. Happiness isn’t just about smiling through the struggle. It’s about being respected, supported, and heard. It’s about having your rights upheld—not delayed.

This film is a reminder that children are not just patients—they are people with voices, ideas, and rights. And when we listen to them, we can make health services better for everyone.

📽️ Watch the film here

 

 

📢 Share it with your networks
💖 Join the conversation using #BeHappyThursday and #WaitingOnOurRights

Let’s amplify the voices of our Health Rights Defenders—and work together to make sure no child is left waiting in silence.