Are health services in England failing our children?

doi:10.1136/bmj.39282.492801.80

BMJ 2007;335:268-269 (11 August), doi:10.1136/bmj.39282.492801.80 (published 26 July 2007)

Editorials

Are health services in England failing our children?

Poor outcomes for major childhood diseases reflect the low statusof children's NHS services

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

In 2004, the UK government launched the national service frameworkfor children in England.¹ It contained a comprehensive set ofstandards for children's health services and a 10 year timescalefor implementation. The framework was welcomed as the firstreal blueprint for children's health since the Court Report²almost 30 years before. But with no extra money and no specifictargets for health professionals or managers, progress has beenslow. Children have been given a low priority, and managersare distracted by high profile government targets for emergencywaiting times and surgical waiting lists. There is now realconcern and increasing evidence that the National Health Service(NHS) is failing children.

The Healthcare Commission recently produced "Improving servicesfor children in hospital,"³ a review of progress on nationalservice framework standards in England. In 2006, only 4% oftrusts were rated excellent and 21% were rated good. While thecommission . . . [Full text of this article]

Alan Craft, professor of child health

Department of Child Health, Sir James Spence Institute, Royal Victoria Infirmary, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 4LP

a.w.craft@ncl.ac.uk

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