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Children's charter for health and social care unveiled today

  • Published date:
    15 September 2004

The new standards are designed to generate a step change in the quality of children's health services. They are based on current best practice and are a 'world first'.

The National Service Framework (NSF) for Children, Young People and Maternity Services, published today, will ensure that all children and young people get services that are age-appropriate and accessible, and recognise their needs as different. They include:

  • Treatment at home for children and young people who have complex health needs, so that they can manage their illness and still have a fulfilling life.
  • Better speech and language therapy services.
  • Involving children and young people as active partners in the decisions about their medicines to fit in more flexibly with their daily lives, for example, prescription regimes that fit around the school day. Computer games and text messaging could be used to remind and teach children and young people about taking medicines.

Early diagnosis and age appropriate treatment for children and young people. For example:

  • ensuring that parents and carers of children with autism spectrum disorder can get an early development assessment and then a multi-agency package of family support;
  • parents of babies and young children can get all the health and other support they need from a local children's centre, cutting out the need for multiple appointments and visits to different agencies; and
  • ensuring a smooth transition into adult services for 17 year olds with long term conditions such as asthma by transferring care to a clinic where paediatric and adult specialists are present.

Early identification and intervention for children and young people with mental health problems to prevent serious mental health problems that can persist into adult life.  

Better support for women who are at higher risk of developing postnatal depression or more severe mental ill health, and systems to identify those suffering from domestic violence. 

The NSF must be implemented by NHS Trusts and local authorities over the next 10 years although the timing and planning of implementation are local matters.

John Reid said:

"Children and young people are not just mini-adults. They need more personalised services that are tailored to meet their individual needs. This NSF is the biggest national effort there has ever been to improve health and social care services for children, young people and their parents."

Charles Clarke said:

"The NSF will play a key role in helping us achieve better health and life chances for children and young people. Children and their families will receive integrated health, social care and education services, that are prompt, convenient, and responsive. These will often be provided from one place such as Children's Centres or extended schools."

Professor Al Aynsley-Green, National Director for Children's Services said:

'This National Service Framework sets out our vision to improve the health and wellbeing of all our children, young people and their families.  Its aim is to improve their lives in three main ways: by actively promoting good health, by ensuring that care is centred on the child's needs, and by improving the experiences and satisfaction of mothers, children, and young people with their health services.  At its heart is a fundamental change in the way that we think, with services being designed and delivered not around organisations or professionals, but around the real needs of children and their families. '

Professor Sir David Hall, Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health said:

'I am pleased to support this NSF, which sets out clearly the paths we want to follow to ensure that children and their families are provided with high-quality health care.  This NSF gives us an outstanding opportunity to build on the good work already being done in many areas and to ensure that improving the lives and well-being of our young people is given the priority it deserves.'   

Paul Ennals, Chief Executive of the National Children's Bureau said:

"The launch of the National Service Framework marks a welcome step change in the development of children's services. The challenge of implementing its standards should kickstart new thinking among all providers and help transform the children's services of tomorrow."

The standards will be delivered locally and monitored by independent bodies including the Health Care Commission, the Commission for Social Care Inspection and OFSTED. The new Health and Social Care Standards and Planning Framework reinforces the importance of planning for children across the whole of health, social services and the voluntary sector. Over the course of the three year planning period the NHS and local authorities must demonstrate that they are making progress towards achieving the quality of service illustrated in the NSF.

The NSF contains eleven standards in all, entitled:

  • Promoting health and well being, identifying needs and intervening early
  • Supporting parents or carers
  • Child, young person and familiy-centred services
  • Growing up into adulthood
  • Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people
  • Children and young people who are ill
  • Children and young people in hospital (launched April 2003)
  • Disabled children and young people and those with complex health needs
  • Mental health and psychological well-being of children and young people
  • Medicines management for children
  • Maternity services

Notes to editor

2. In April 2003 an extra £70 million was committed over three years to neonatal intensive care services.  This money will provide up to 75 new cots and reduce by as much as 70 per cent the number of unplanned transfers between units of mothers and new born babies.

3. Over the three year period from 2003-04 to 2005-06 the Government is investing over £300 million in child and adolescent mental health services provided by the NHS and local authorities.

4. £ 2.5 million has been allocated under the Department of Health to fund a new programme of research to complement implementation of the NSF. Preparation of the NSF has been supported by a significant evidence gathering exercise. This has highlighted important gaps in knowledge about child health and well being, in particular about the effectiveness of interventions, the forms of service delivery and organisation to achieve change and, even more crucially, the effect of interventions on child outcome. The research requirement will be formulated to address key priorities to promote the delivery of standards and service change as identified in the NSF.

5. For media enquiries, please contact: Brenda Irons-Roberts on 020 7210 5231, Malcolm Fawcett on 020 7210 5375, or Charlotte Farrar on 020 7210 5315 in the Department of Health Media Centre.

6. For public enquiries, please contact the Department of Health Public Enquiries Department on tel: 020 7210 4850

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