Debate contribution: Children's Year 1 Health Review

Debate contribution by Mr Colin McGrath on 10 March 2025.

MLA

Mr Colin McGrath

Party at the time

Social Democratic and Labour Party

Date

10 March 2025

Type

Debate contribution

Business

Private Members' Business

Heading

Children's Year 1 Health Review

Assembly identifier

Official Report component 4841479

Read the official Assembly record

Text

In addressing the motion, it is important that I set it in the context in which we find ourselves. The motion makes the important points that the fact that 15% of children across all health trusts are not being seen by a health visitor is alarming, that the fact that that percentage rose to 46% in the Southern Trust is deeply concerning and that, yes, we:

"need to end regional inequalities in the provision of child health reviews".

Another point that is just as important needs to be made, however. In 2022-23, the year previous to the year that is dealt with in the motion, the number of children who were not being seen across all trusts for their year 1 health review was 33%, so we improved by 18% in 2023-24. In the Southern Trust in 2022-23, the number of children who were not being seen was a staggering 65%, so, again, we managed to improve by 19% in a year. The overall figure for year 1 health reviews across the North that were completed within the accepted time increased from 46% to 59% during the period. There is therefore improvement in the sector, but, in congratulating ourselves on that improvement, we should not overlook the fact that a massive number of children are not being seen in time. The proposer of the motion will undoubtedly agree that a motion could have been tabled much earlier had this place not been collapsed during the two years that we are talking about, in which time matters were at their absolute worst. We can see that it was through the resilience, determination and hard work of staff in the sector that matters were addressed. We politicians are now able to reflect on that.

Yes, of course.

I will not need it, but thank you very much, Mr Deputy Speaker. That is the very point that I was making. Had we had a Minister in place, and had this place been up and running, we could have addressed the matter, but it was instead left to the staff to do so. Thankfully, they did the work that they had to do to turn around the figures. It is really important to note that we can always do better. That much is clear. All of us, regardless of our age or background, want only the best for our children. We want to give them the best start that they can get in life. I spoke to health visitors about the motion, and they detailed to me the work that they do and how they are able to identify certain traits or characteristics in children during those early formative years. Although it is regrettable that 15% of children were not seen by the age of one, there is little that could have been done differently had traits been identified at that age. Even if traits were to be identified at two years of age, we currently see only 93% of children by that age. What can we do at that stage if we do identify traits, however? Health visitors tell me that they notice nuances in behaviour that may indicate autism or ADHD and that may need to be addressed. When children are seen by our expert health visitors, they can identify those particular traits, but there is nothing that they can do about autism until a child is three. By the time that a child gets to that stage, there is a three-year waiting list. Autism could therefore be identified at the age of one or two, yet nothing can be done about it until children are three, and even then they only get placed on a long waiting list. Many children have the traits of ADHD. Those children cannot be seen until they are seven. At that stage, there is a two-year waiting list. Traits may be noticed at the age of one, two or three, but, again, nothing can be done about them. It is therefore important that the Minister give some consideration to what we could do if we were to identify those traits early. Are there interventions that could be made that would make a difference? It must be deeply frustrating for health visitors when they notice something but know that it may be five years before it can be addressed by an expert. We have no issues with the amendment. We welcome it. The Healthy Child, Healthy Future framework is 15 years old, however. It is currently under review, and we need to nudge it over the line. Safeguarding has changed, for example, as has the family model. Lots of things are evolving daily, never mind having as our guide a strategy that was implemented 15 years ago. Getting that review completed and those changes implemented will certainly do what we are all looking to do: to give our children and young people the best possible start in life.

821 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Assessment

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