Vol. 525 No. 2
644 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Health and Children if he has satisfied himself with the extent of the follow-up process arising from diagnoses arrived at in the course of the school medical examination programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24870/00]
645 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Health and Children the evaluation which has been done in respect of the school medical examination and inoculation programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24871/00]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 644 and 645 together.
The provision of school medical services, as an integral component of child health services, is the statutory responsibility of the health boards. Arising from the identification of the need for a review of child health services in the health strategy, Shaping a Healthier Future, the chief executive officers of the health boards initiated a review of the services in question. This review resulted in the launch of the report, Best Health for Children, at the end of 1999.
In so far as the school medical services are concerned the report recommends a core programme for child health surveillance for all primary schools in close co-operation with parents and teachers with selective medical examination of children with problems. In addition, the report recommends that children with special needs should receive particular attention. The need for adequate training of key professionals is also underlined.
With regard to the follow-up process arising from the diagnoses arrived at in the course of the school medical examination programme, the report makes reference to the need for the provision of appropriate referral and treatment services. In particular, the report notes that "there should be clearly defined and locally agreed referral pathways, secondary examination and treatment services must be available and appropriate and there should be timely feedback to the referrer and to the GP."
The implementation of the report is a matter for the health boards. The chief executive officers of the health boards have established a national conjoint child health committee and appointed conjoint national child health co-ordinators for the purpose of overseeing implementation of the recommendations of the report in the health boards. The conjoint co-ordinators have indicated that the North-Western Health Board will pilot the new school health services programme in its region in the near future and report the outcome of the evaluation to the co-ordinators. It is anticipated that the pilot programme will commence at the beginning of next year.
The school booster immunisation programme did not come within the scope of the Best Health for Children report. I am not aware of any recent evaluation undertaken in relation to this service. However, it is appropriate that, to the greatest extent possible, booster immunisations should continue to be delivered through the schools as this offers the best opportunity to achieve a high uptake in the target population.
