We are a non-patient facing team whose function is to provide a local record of a child’s public health and community healthcare. This information includes screening and immunisation.
We liaise across care settings, agencies and regions to ensure that children and young people in their local population are able to access the NHS Healthy Child Programme. We also ensure key information on children’s health is available, accurate and up to date for parents and professionals to access for public health purposes.
We play a critical role in the scheduling, recording and monitoring of public health programmes, including vaccination delivery and immunisation status of children in England. We are the definitive source of immunisation uptake and coverage within England and, as such, are essential to limiting the spread of communicable diseases.
Our responsibilities include:
- New born blood spot screening.
- National child measurement programme.
- Registration of Births.
- Screening and Immunisations.
- Transferring of records into and out of the area.
- Support of the 0-19 service training staff in blood spot taking and procedures.
- Secure administration and transfer of paper records for looked after children.
- Linking in with Social Care to provide updated safeguarding information.
- Advising the 0-19 service on best practice for registering children
- Sending flu immunisation invitations
Referrals come directly to us from other Child Health Departments. Patients cannot refer directly into this service.