Child Health Services (Hansard, 18 July 1988)

§ Ms. Harman
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will instruct all district health authorities to report annually on arrangements for child health services.

§ Mrs. Currie
Health authorities already report to the Department on developments in health services, including child health, in the annual round of planning statements.

§ Ms. Harman
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) if he will make a statement about the future role of nurses in the development of child health services;
(2) if he will make a statement about the future role of health visitors in the development of child health services;
(3) if he will make a statement about the future role of clinical medical officers and senior clinical medical officers in the development of child health services.

§ Mrs. Currie
The role of the profession involved in child health services is a matter for the professional bodies concerned and is a topic which is currently under discussion. They have set up a working party to review current practice in child health surveillance and to make recommendations for future practice. Their report is expected early next year.
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§ Ms. Harman
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a statement about the future role of general practitioners in the development of child health services.

§ Mrs. Currie
The recent White Paper "Promoting Better Health" (Cm. 249) makes clear the Government's intention that general practitioners should increasingly be involved in health surveillance of children under the age of five. Subject to discussions with professional interests we envisage introducing an allowance payable to general practitioners who receive appropriate training and who provide child health surveillance services under arrangements to be agreed between family practitioner committees and district health authorities. It is recognised that the greater involvement of general practitioners in the services will take place gradually and that there will continue to be an important role for the community health services in child surveillance.