Judy Walker, who wrote Play for Health: delivering and auditing quality in hospital play services, said that about a third of accident and emergency departments still did not have their own play specialist.
The Healthcare Commission found last month that 46 per cent of hospital trusts were 'weak' in their outpatient services, while 28 per cent were in this category for their emergency care services.
Ms Walker said, 'The Healthcare Commission and the National Service Framework for children recommend that there should be play specialists, and there are about 1,200, but we still have a long way to go.'
While paediatric wards in hospitals are now generally 'well catered for', she said that there were still tens of thousands of children who are seen in other settings and are unable to access play services.
Play for Health is published by the charity, the National Association of Hospital Play Staff, and can be ordered from www.nahps.org.uk.