Government sets out its new vision for the health of children

The Government has outlined its new vision for the health of children, young people and their families in a supplementary document to the ongoing consultation for the ‘White Paper, Equity and Excellence: Liberating the NHS’.

The document, recently launched by Health Secretary Andrew Lansley, is entitled ‘Achieving Equity and Excellence for Children’. It is designed to engage the views of professionals and the wider community on how the new system should work and has been published alongside a review of children’s services within the NHS.

The vision set out in Achieving Equity and Excellence for Children describes personalised services that meet individual needs and are appropriate for children, young people and their families and a system in which age-specific information is routinely available and widely accessible. It proposes that children, young people and their families, assisted by professionals, will be at the centre of the design and delivery of services and that improvements will be developed in line with the outcomes for children and young people.

Andrew Lansley explained: “In our new vision for the NHS, and in preparing for our public health White Paper later this year, we are determined to provide for children and young people as an essential and integral part of delivering better health outcomes.

“[...] We are today ensuring that, informed by Sir Ian's report and in line with the new focus in the White Paper on patient-centred care, we shape the future of children and young people's services to meet their needs more effectively by improving health outcomes to be amongst the best in the world, through more devolved, locally integrated service provision.”

First Response Training offers an extensive suite of training courses aimed at children’s health and social care services. Perry Leeks, Managing Director at First Response, says: “It is great that the health and well-being of children and young people is at the forefront of the agenda for the future. Many improvements can be made to improve children’s services at every level; we provide training courses that can help people who work with and look after children on a day-to-day basis improve their knowledge and skill set, leading to them being much more able to preserve the health and safety of the children in their care.

“We can provide courses such as Paediatric First Aid, Health and Safety for Child Carers, Infection Control, Food Hygiene, Child Protection and Nutrition and Healthy Eating training. Please call us today on 0800 310 2300 to speak to one of our sales advisors and find out more.”