Health Bill must do more for Children and Young People - YoungMinds
As the Health and Social Care Bill has its first debate in the House of Lords today (11 October), children and young people’s organisations have come together to urge Peers to make sure that health reforms result in improved services for children and young people across the country, particularly for those with complex needs who often struggle to receive adequate care.
In a statement published by the National Children's Bureau (NCB) and signed by over 15 organisations that promote the health and well-being of children and young people – including YoungMinds – the group expresses deep concern that the current reforms will not improve children and young people’s experiences of health services, nor give them and their families a real voice in decisions about their own care.
The group is calling on Peers at the first debate tomorrow, to make a number of changes to the reforms, including:
- requiring the Secretary of State for Health to include priorities for children and young people’s health in its ‘mandate’ to the NHS, acknowledging the fact that health in early life is clearly linked to heath in adulthood
- making explicit in the Bill that the new local Healthwatch – designed to champion patient involvement in decisions about health services – must engage children and young people from the start
- giving Health and Well-being Boards – which will coordinate health and social care planning – a stronger role in promoting integration across the full range of services that improve their health including education, early childhood and youth services.
Paula Lavis, YoungMinds' policy and knowledge manager, said: "YoungMinds has particular concerns around Healthwatch and Health and Wellbeing Boards. Local Healthwatches need to ensure they engage with children and young people and make a specific commitment to consulting with vulnerable young people, and not just those who are highly articulate and easy to access. This includes young people with mental health problems.
"Health and Wellbeing Boards also need to have real powers so that they can bring about integrated working and ensure that all relevant agencies work together to commission and deliver the full range of services that make up the comprehensive CAMHS model. Under the current proposals, there is a real risk that any progress on integrated working could disappear unless a strong Health and Wellbeing Board understands and prioritises children’s mental health, and encourages all relevant partners to work together.’
Zoe Renton, Head of Policy at NCB, said: “In the new system, children and young people with complex needs will be using universal and specialist services commissioned at varying levels across the system. There must be clarity as to how these different levels fit together, meeting the needs of children across their life course.”
020 7089 5066 or chris.leaman@youngminds.org.uk
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