Cheaper healthcare for children promised

Wednesday 01 July 2020

Taking your child to the doctor could be a lot cheaper, while seeing the dentist for an annual check up could be free in future, if plans to invest nearly £2million subsidising health care costs for children are approved.

The Committee for Health and Social Care wants to bring down the cost for families with proposals to invest the money in various ways including capping the cost for a child's appointment at A&E.

To do this, family allowance would be stopped for families with a gross household income of £120,000 or more, while family allowance would stop for everyone when a child reaches 18-years-old.

Pictured: Doctor appointments could be capped at £25 for a child. 

HSC has worked with the committees for Employment & Social Security and Education, Sport & Culture on the plans, which will see cultural activities and supervised tooth brushing programmes at primary and pre-schools. 

• Cutting the cost of a child's appointment with a GP to £25 from September 2021
• Every child will be offered a free annual dental check-up, including fluoride varnish treatment
• An appointment at the Emergency Department at the PEH will cost £25
• A visit to a nurse at a GP Practice will be £15
• Around £150,000 will be reallocated to education and ring fenced for enrichment and cultural activities for children at primary schools
• Dental health education in schools will be strengthened and there will be a supervised tooth-brushing programme for children in pre- schools

Above: The proposals for subsidised health care services for children include the above ideas. 

HSC wants to make healthcare more affordable for children under its Partnership of Purpose which is aimed at bringing different services together.

Health & Social Care President Heidi Soulsby said providing affordable healthcare will give young people a better start in life. 

“I am delighted that the three Committees have come together and found a way of ensuring that children and young people can have more affordable access to the medical and dental care that they require," she said.

"These proposals are an essential part of the Committee’s Partnership of Purpose and the Children and Young People’s Plan so that every child and teenager is protected and cared for and has the opportunity to flourish.”

Pictured: Deputy Heidi Soulsby and Deputy Matt Fallaize. 

Two of the ideas revolve around schools and preschools with around £150,000 earmarked for "enrichment and cultural activities for children at primary schools". A supervised tooth-brushing programme for children in pre-schools will also be introduced if the £2m funding is approved by the States.

Deputy Matt Fallaize, ESC President, said these proposals will benefit those who need the intervention the most. 

“This additional investment in primary schools will allow us to enhance enrichment activities for children and crucially improve equality of access to enrichment activities," he said.

"Invariably students who might stand to gain the most from extra- curricular activities are those most likely to face social and economic barriers which limit their opportunities to participate. This is essential social policy development funded in a pragmatic way at no additional cost to the overwhelming majority of our population.”

Pictured top: Emergency Department charges could be reduced for young patients under the plans.