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LETTERS: Tam Fry National service framework for children: Framework ignores children's growth BMJ 2004; 329: 1239-a [Full text]

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White Paper on public health ignores growth, too

Tam Fry   (19 November 2004)

White Paper on public health ignores growth, too 19 November 2004
Tam Fry, Honorary Chairman Child Growth Foundation, 2 Mayfield Avenue, London W4 1PW Send response to journal: Re: White Paper on public health ignores growth, too	My Letter on the National Service Framework for Children which you kindly published to-day BMJ 2004; 329; 1239]presumed that public health White Paper would rectify the NSF's growth/BMI omissions as a matter of urgency. It didn't. As your News item [p1201] reports we will have to wait until 2007 for measures that could be put in place to-morrow. With a workforce of some 20,000 health vistors, nursery nurses and school nurses already in place, hopefully all equipped and trained [see Health For All Children], Derek Wanless' call to begin collecting information on the health status of the population could begin without delay. The White Paper acknowledges Wanless' criticism of lack of comprehensive data [p190] - and then sits on its hands! Competing interests: None declared