North Yorkshire County Council is to open a consultation on revised plans for children’s health services, which face cuts.
The council’s executive agreed yesterday that the consultation on its healthy child programme, which supports 130,000 young people aged 0-19 in the county and their families, will begin on October 26.
As part of national cuts to public health funding, the authority now needs to save £750,000 over three years on the service.
Dr Lincoln Sargeant, director of public health at the council, told the meeting:
“In an ideal world with adequate funding we would not have to make radical changes to our services.
“What we are proposing here for the healthy child programme is part and parcel of a whole series of service transformations that we have had to do across all public health services in response to cuts to the public health grant.
“We have prioritised the 0 to 5 years old elements. We think that is really key for children and families with a new child.”
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Councillors will consider the plans again after the 10-week consultation ends.
A report prepared for the executive meeting said:
“The proposed programme will not be able to provide the level of service that it currently provides to school aged children. Some services provided in school settings will stop, including hearing and vision screening for children aged 4-5 years and sexual health services drop-ins in schools.”
Currently children receive five in-person check-ups to the age of five. Under the new proposals three of these could be done virtually.
Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust, which delivers the programme in partnership with the council, would be awarded a 10-year contract if the plans go ahead.
Harrogate councillor Geoff Webber, who is the opposition Liberal Democrats leader on the council, criticised government cuts for forcing the council to reduce its services.
He said:
“It is disgraceful the government have chosen this time to reduce public health spending in North Yorkshire by £4 million over the next few years.
“I am sure that members of all parties will support the effort to maintain the healthy child service and we look forward to seeing the result of the public consultation.”
