Vol. 536 No. 5
246 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Health and Children if all schools throughout the country have received the required degree of school medical examinations in the past three years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15072/01]
The provision of school health services including school medical examinations, as an integral component of child health services, is the statutory responsibility of the health boards. As a result of a need identified in the health strategy, Shaping a Healthier Future, the chief executive officers of the health boards initiated a review of child health services including the school medical services. This review resulted in the recent publication of the report Best Health for Children at the end of 1999.
In so far as school medical examinations are concerned, the report makes a number of recommendations. The report recommends a core programme for child health surveillance for all primary schools, in close co-operation with parents and teachers, at ages 5-6 years, 7-8 years and 11-12 years and with selective medical examinations of children with problems.
Health boards are in the process of reviewing the child health services with a view to bringing them into line with the recommendations in the report. A sum of £800,000 was allocated to the health boards this year to assist the boards in implementing the recommendations. In addition, the chief executive officers of the health boards have established a national conjoint child health committee and appointed national child health co-ordinators for the purpose of overseeing the implementation of the recommendations of Best Health for Children in the health boards.
