30 January 2024
The RCPCH welcome the developments toward the return to devolved government.
In response to the announcements, our Officer Dr Ray Nethercott said:
Delivering for the infants, children and young people of Northern Ireland through multi-year budgeting and a programme for Government which gives meaning to ‘giving every child the best start in life’ is the best way forward.
We understand the complexities involved in implementing full restoration, and we call on political players to ensure that a sitting government is in place as soon as possible. We must focus on a range of child health and wellbeing priorities, not least:
- Developing care pathways with ringfenced funding to reduce paediatric waiting times.
- Fully delivering integrated care structures with key partners in health, education and the 3rd sector to provide stable and joined up approaches to prioritising policy development and commissioning arrangements with children at the centre, from prevention through to treatment.
- Ensuring we have a child health workforce, adequately placed, supported and resourced to ensure every child has access to care in the right place, at the right time.
It’s time to prioritise children, they are our future and are entitled to the rights enshrined in the UNCRC.