MPs call for more child health visits

HEALTH visitors should monitor new parents and their children until they are three-and-a-half, according to MPs.

The checks would help identify any health and development problems to stop children falling behind before starting school, they said.

The Commons health committee called for the current five mandatory visits in England to be extended to ensure children’s welfare until they are three-anda-half. In contrast, the MPs said youngsters in Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland each receive up to eight visits.

Dr Paul Williams, a practising GP and father who led the inquiry, said: ‘Government must show inspiring leadership to help children get the best possible start in life. But all we are seeing are cuts to health visiting, children’s centre closures and increasing child poverty.’

The MPs’ report urged ministers to launch a long-term strategy for the first 1,000 days of life, a critical phase when the foundations of a child’s life are laid.