In 2003, Alan Milburn, the then health secretary, emphasised theimportance of ensuring that hospital stays for children were safe,comfortable and offered care of the highest standard. Children are notmini-adults; they have particular needs that hospitals should address,he said at the launch of the Government's national standard forchildren's hospital services.
Standard seven of the children's national service framework sets outgoals to ensure all hospital settings, not just paediatric wards, arechild-friendly and provide children with integrated care centred aroundtheir individual needs. The framework has a 10-year timeframe andhospital trusts are expected to have begun implementing the newstandards. But a recent assessment by the Healthcare Commissionindicates that progress has been patchy (Children Now, 6-12September).
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