NCB asks Government to listen to children and young people on reforming the NHS
Sir Paul Ennals Chief Executive of NCB has written a blog post on the Guardian website asking for NHS systems to be designed around the needs of children and young people and not just the needs of adults. He said: “In all the debates about the proposed health reforms, children have been almost invisible.”
Sir Paul writes that the focus of the NHS has been meeting the big health issues effecting adults and that children “just have to fit in”. He highlights a number of examples where changes to current procedures would have a negative impact on children and young people. He commented: “As yet, there is no evidence that the views of children and young people have been listened to. Nor may they be in the new NHS.”
A new agency called Healthwatch could be different if designed differently from previous schemes to capture patient views. Sir Paul continues: “The National Children's Bureau has proposed that Healthwatch should be required to secure the views of children and young people, including those who are most often excluded from consultation. If the new service hears from disabled children, and fromchildren in care – not just once but regularly – then maybe, just maybe, the adult health service might begin to respond to the needs of children.”
