WIREDGOV

Health Secretary Vaughan Gething has welcomed new statistics which show the Welsh Government’s Healthy Child Wales Programme is ensuring more children up to the age of 7 are having regular contact with health professionals.

The first official statistics published in relation to the Healthy Child Wales Programme, show a steady increase in the percentage of children receiving contacts from the start of the programme in October 2016 up to June this year.

Vaughan Gething recently said: 

“The Healthy Child Wales Programme sets out what planned contacts children and their families can expect from their health boards, from maternity service handover to the first years of schooling. These universal contacts focus on three main themes: screening; immunisation; and monitoring and supporting child development. 

“The steady increase in the percentage of children receiving contact with health professionals demonstrates the good progress being made by the Healthy Child Wales Programme to ensure children get the best possible start in life.”

Jean White, Chief Nursing Officer for Wales, recently said: 

“The publication of the Healthy Child Wales Programme statistics demonstrates the value of a universal set of contacts for children in Wales. The regular contact with Health Visitors allows consistent messages to be given to families to help them make choices that will improve health outcomes for their children.”

The full statistics can be accessed on the Welsh Government website Statistics and Research page.