Standards set on sharing children’s health information

New standards on how information regarding children’s health can be shared have been set.

The standards set out what information from screening tests, immunisations and other developmental milestones can be accessed by health and social professionals, parents and guardians.

This means that parents will be able to view digital health records of their children.

It will also mean that children will be given appropriate care as health professionals and parents will have easy access to the necessary information.

The standards have been developed in consultation with parents and health and care professionals.

The Professional Record Standards Body have published a report on the standard, as part of a programme of work by NHS England and NHS Digital to improve the health of children by using digital technology that promotes better information sharing.

Newly appointed PRSB chair and GP, Professor Maureen Baker said: “Every child has the right to a healthy life and I am convinced that this new way of sharing standardised information digitally will support this goal by enabling safer and more efficient care, as well as better support for children and their families.”

The standards also support the Department of Health’s Healthy Child Programme.

Dr David Low, consultant paediatrician and adviser to the Digital Child Health programme said: “Creating these standards for digital exchange of health information is a significant step towards achieving the goals of the Healthy Child Programme.”

“It is a great example of collaborative working as parents, carers and health professionals have all been involved in creating this information standard and we will all benefit from the changes it brings. It will save time for health professionals by cutting back on paperwork and giving them access to a standardised set of health information.”

“Both health professionals and parents will have greater assurance that a child has received all the preventative care needed to ensure the best start in life.”

In April, it was announced System C had been awarded a contract to create a single child health record across six regions in the south of England.

The supplier stated it will use its CarePlus Child Health software to integrate 800,000 health records across 14 clinical commissioning groups (CCGs), five local authorities and six unitary authorities.