The number of primary care trusts could be cut by two-thirds underproposals submitted by strategic health authorities to the Department ofHealth.
The cuts would leave around 100 trusts by October 2006.
Children's leads initially welcomed the reforms believing it wouldincrease co-terminosity between local authorities and trusts. Butconcerns are now being raised that the changes could lead to the loss oflinks forged between health and children's services, and theprioritisation of children on the health agenda.
Speaking at a conference on child health in London last week, ProfessorAl Aynsley-Green, England's children's commissioner, warned he hadreceived a number of reports from health organisations concerned aboutthe "dangers of fracturing delicate links. Having had the children'snational service framework on the street for some months, people aretrying very hard to build connectivity between trusts and localorganisations," he said. "But people are expressing concern that at atime when they're trying to make these connections children will loseout yet again."
Register Now to Continue Reading
Thank you for visiting Children & Young People Now and making use of our archive of more than 60,000 expert features, topics hubs, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:
What's Included
-
Free access to 4 subscriber-only articles per month
-
Email newsletter providing advice and guidance across the sector
Already have an account? Sign in here
