New patient groups should include children

A group of Peers have called on the Government to ensure that new patient representative bodies include children and young people. Following campaigning by Participation Works and others, Baroness Massey of Darwen and a number of Peers from across the parties tabled amendments to the Health and Social Care Bill to make explicit that HealthWatch England and Local HealthWatch should include children in their work. These bodies will be responsible for providing advice on the views of patients and members of the public and for promoting and supporting patient and public involvement in healthcare.

Baroness Massey highlighted the Government’s obligations under Article 12 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) to involve children in decision-making and said that “Measures to promote patient and public involvement in decisions about their own care and in the development of health services and care services must include children from the start. I believe that this will make for better health services”.

Baroness Finlay of Llandaff pointed out that the Government’s own response to Sir Ian Kennedy’s review of children’s healthcare last year stated that “If we are to meet the needs of children, young people, families and carers, it is vital that we listen to them in designing services, gather information on their experiences and priorities, provide them with the accessible information that they need to make choices about their care, and involve them in decision making".

Responding for the Government, Baroness Northover acknowledged that children are often overlooked within the NHS and are not sufficiently represented in patient groups. Baroness Northover stressed that the work of HealthWatch England and Local HealthWatch should include children, but rejected a specific reference to children in the Bill. Following comments by Baroness Finlay, Baroness Northover implied that the Government could consider specific obligations in secondary legislation or guidance.

Have a look at our Health topic area or find out more about children and young people and HealthWatch on NCB Voluntary Sector Support.

Wed, 04/01/2012 - 16:50