Children and young people are key stakeholders of the NHS and their interests must be at the centre of health and local government services. In 2012, Health and local government reforms in England significantly affected how child health services are commissioned and delivered. Throughout the Government’s health reforms, children’s needs and aspirations were rarely discussed and the capacity of the Departments of Health and for Education to focus on children and young people was reduced.
In order to generate a consensus across child health professionals in the NHS and local government, the RCPCH and the NHS Confederation, with support from the Office for Public Management (OPM), held an event in September 2011 to discuss the key priorities for child health and reforms.
This report highlights the key findings and recommendations from the event about involving children and young people in decisions about health and wellbeing services and developing a culture of participation.