HC Deb 14 November 1990 vol 180 cc175-6W
Mr. Alton

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will make a statement on preventive health care in primary and junior schools;

(2) what guidelines his Department gives to local education authorities on routine medical inspections of pupils in primary and junior schools.

Mr. Dorrell

The paper "Prevention in the Child Health Services"—a copy is available in the Library—issued by the Department of Health and Social Security in 1980 asked health authorities, in consultation with local education authorities, to devise programmes for health prevention and promotion in schools designed to meet the circumstances and needs of the local community.

The paper advised that all children should have a comprehensive medical assessment during the first year of compulsory schooling. It suggested that, with the improvements in the detection of handicapping conditions, routine medical examinations should not be

£ million
Regional health authorities Local authorities Voluntary sector Department of Health HEA
1985–86 — — 0.10 0.52 —
1986–87 — — 0.16 7.60 —
1987–88 25.1 — 1.30 6.74 4.47
1988–89 61.7 — 1.09 — 10.00
1989–90 122–8 7.0 1.60 — 12.00
1990–91 127.5 9.8 1.80 — 10.00

We are fully committed to taking effective action to curb the spread of HIV infection in all sections of the United Kingdom population. In the absence of either a vaccine against HIV infection or a cure for AIDS education and prevention remain the cornerstones of our strategy. The priority that we attach to this is demonstrated by the fact that we continue to spend more on AIDS health education than on any other single health education programme

necessary thereafter. Instead health surveillance should be based on serial screening of vision, hearing and growth by school nurses supported as necessary by a doctor who, at any age in infancy or childhood, should be prepared to investigate health problems reported by the nurses, teachers or parents.

We are currently considering whether there is a need for further central guidance on the management of school health services.

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