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Sir Ian Kennedy today set out the areas he will consider in his review of NHS services for children, looking at how to build on recent progress and ensure lasting improvements in quality and outcomes for children.

The Chief Executive of the NHS, David Nicholson, has commissioned Sir Ian to explore the cultural obstacles that can stand in the way of sustained improvement in the provision of care for children and to consider what can be done to develop the NHS’ contribution to safeguarding children.

Sir Ian will look at what needs to be done to build on action already underway and how such action can be embedded and developed. He will look at areas such as:

the care of children outside specifically paediatric settings;health visiting and community services; the pathways of care;primary care including A&E; andarrangements to safeguard children; the management of the transition to adult care;how the NHS works with its partners to support children; andhow the NHS responds to the needs of families as well as individuals.

David Nicholson said:

“Improving child health and well-being has been a clear priority for the NHS in recent years and a comprehensive programme of action to safeguard children has delivered real progress.

“The work I have asked Sir Ian to undertake will build on this progress and his findings will be used to support sustained improvement for the long term in the work the NHS does to safeguard children”.

In his review, Sir Ian will engage with a wide range of NHS workers, leaders and key stakeholders in the field of children’s health services.

Sir Ian said

”I am delighted that David Nicholson has asked me to undertake this important piece of work. The care and welfare of children are a large part of what the NHS does. There are many examples of good practice, but there is also room for improvement: the importance of children and young people’s health and wellbeing cannot be overstated.

“I am keen to talk to NHS staff, those involved in health and healthcare, children and their families, and anyone else with an interest in this project. I want to hear about what’s working well, where the problems are and any ideas that people have for making sustainable improvements, so that we can work together to make the NHS even more responsive to children, their needs and aspirations.”

David Nicholson has asked Sir Ian to report with recommendations by March 2010

Notes to Editors

About Sir Ian Kennedy

Professor Sir Ian Kennedy LLD is a lawyer who, for the past few decades, has lectured and written on the law and the ethics of healthcare. He was chairman of the Healthcare Commission from its inception in 2003 until its merger into the Care Quality Commission in 2009. He is also Emeritus Professor of Health Law, Ethics and Policy at the School of Public Policy, University College of London and Visiting Professor at the London School of Economics. He is a former Dean of the Law School (1986-96) at King’s College London and President of the Centre of Medical Laws and Ethics, which he founded in 1978. He gave the Reith Lectures in 1980. He was a member of the GMC for nine years and has been a member of the Medicines Commission and the Department of Health’s advisory group on AIDS, Chairman of the public inquiry (1998 – 2001) into paediatric cardiac surgery at Bristol, a government inquiry (1997), into xenotransplantation (the use of animal-to-human transplants), and an inquiry (1998) that recommended changing the law relating to quarantine for animals being brought into the UK from abroad. He is a Fellow of the British Academy (FBA) (2002) and a Fellow of both King’s College, London and University College, London. He was awarded an Honorary DSc by the University of Glasgow in July 2003. He is an Honorary Fellow of the Royal College of General Practitioners (2002), Royal College of Physicians (2003), Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (2004), Royal College of Anaesthetists (2004) and Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (2005). He was awarded an honorary degree of Doctor of Medicine by the University of Birmingham (2006). He was Knighted for services to medical law and bioethics in 2002.

Contacts:

Department of Health
Phone: 020 7210 5221
NDS.DH@coi.gsi.gov.uk