The coronavirus pandemic has created a backlog of children’s developmental checks, and with the move away from face-to-face health visiting and GP appointments, there are concerns children will slip through the net.
Under the Healthy Child programme, all children in England should receive five mandated health visits and checks in their first two-and-a-half years. The aim of these is to identify health risks, the need for extra support and children’s broader development.
However, during lockdowns, some children missed development checks and were not seen by a health visitor due to a lack of PPE and the workforce being redeployed. This is on top of a historical shortage of health visitors and high staff turnover.
Register now to continue reading
Thank you for visiting Nursery World and making use of our archive of more than 35,000 expert features, subject guides, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:
What's included
-
Free access to 4 subscriber-only articles per month
-
Unlimited access to news and opinion
-
Email newsletter providing activity ideas, best practice and breaking news
Already have an account? Sign in here