Victory for EDCM supporters - Andrew Lansley announces Children's and Young People's Forum

26th January 2012

Campaigners urge the Government to ensure the Forum results in long term system change for disabled children

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Andrew Lansley, Secretary of State for Health, today (Thursday 26th January) launched a Children's and Young People's Forum- an equivalent to the NHS Future Forum 'listening exercise' for child health. This move directly responds to emails sent by 1000 Every Disabled Child Matters (EDCM) supporters and friends of The Children's Trust, Tadworth to raise concerns with Andrew Lansley about the lack of focus on child health within the reform process.

The Children's and Young People's Forum has been tasked with creating an outcomes framework specifically for child health, and with tackling long term systemic barriers that disabled children and young people face when accessing universal and specialist health services. Its recommendations will shape the priorities for child health within the Secretary of State for Health's annual 'mandate' to the NHS. Christine Lenehan, Director of the Council for Disabled Children and EDCM Board member, will act as co-chair of the Forum.

EDCM campaigners have made it clear that the Children's and Young People's Forum must tackle the key questions raised by families with disabled children in EDCM's recent report: Disabled Children and Health Reform. In particular, it should consider how accountability for improving outcomes for disabled children will be created at every level of the health service, from the NHS Commissioning Board, to Health & Wellbeing Boards and Clinical Commissioning Groups.

David Congdon, EDCM Board Member said: 'We warmly welcome this commitment by Secretary of State for Health Andrew Lansley to ensure that child health, and health services for disabled children, are a high priority for the NHS. For too long, the health system has viewed children as 'small adults'.The creation of a Children's and Young People's Forum to feed into the annual NHS Mandate is a real opportunity to address the longstanding barriers that disabled children face in accessing universal and specialist health services. However, we are clear that this must not be a talking shop. The Government must ensure that swift action is taken in response to the recommendations of the Forum to ensure that the current health reforms do not exacerbate the negative experiences of families with disabled children.' 

-ENDS-

Notes to Editors

1.    Every Disabled Child Matters is the national campaign to get rights and justice for every disabled child. It is run by four leading organisations working with disabled children and their families: Contact a Family, Council for Disabled Children, Mencap and the Special Educational Consortium.   Find out more at www.edcm.org.uk

2.    Disabled Children and Health Reform: Questions, challenges and opportunities was launched by EDCM and The Children's Trust, Tadworth on October 24th 2011. It includes evidence from families with disabled children on the barriers they face in accessing health services, and makes recommendations on how the Health & Social Care Bill reforms should address these barriers. The report can be downloaded from: /media/8050/health_reform_report.pdf

3.    The Department of Health press release can be found here: http://mediacentre.dh.gov.uk/2012/01/26/improving-health-results-for-children/