Government urged to clarify child health remits

The government should use its "pause" in the passage of the Health and Social Care Bill to clarify once and for all where responsibility lies for the commissioning of child health services, it is being claimed.

Sir Paul Ennals, chief executive of the National Children's Bureau, said the government is unclear about which aspects of child health will be the responsibility of GP consortia.

He said current proposals would see commissioning for children and young people's health split three ways between local authority-led health and wellbeing boards, the National Commissioning Board and GP consortia.

Ennals argued that health and wellbeing boards would be best placed to handle all commissioning for child health. "Most child health services really need to be commissioned alongside other children's services," he said. "GPs are at the heart of the UK's health system but their track record with children has not been that impressive. Most of the GP consortia I speak to are really worried about how to fulfil their role, particularly in child and adolescent mental health and services for disabled children."