Child Health Programme
NHS Scotland provides a universal health promotion programme to all children and their families known as the child health programme. The programme aims to enable each child to attain their highest possible standard of health by delivering universal health promotion services and detecting medical or social risks or problems at an early stage and facilitating effective intervention.
The programme includes various elements such as formal screening for specific medical problems, routine childhood immunisations, and a structured programme of needs assessment, health promotion, and parenting support provided through regular scheduled contacts with health visitors, school nurses and other health professionals.
Delivery of the child health programme is supported by three universal child health information systems, namely
- Child Health Systems Programme Pre School (CHSP Pre-School)
- Child Health Systems Programme School (CHSP School)
- Scottish Immunisation & Recall System (SIRS)
All of these systems facilitate the invitation of children for specific child health programme contacts as they reach the appropriate age. They also allow recording of information obtained and/or care given during the contacts. CHSP Pre-School and CHSP School facilitate the delivery of scheduled health promotion contacts for pre-school and school aged children respectively. SIRS facilitates the delivery of childhood immunisations.
ISD publishes a range of information on topics of public health importance which is derived from these three systems, including information on immunisation, infant feeding, and children's weight and growth.
Current Scottish Government policy on the delivery of the child health programme is set out in Health for all children 4: guidance on implementation in Scotland and A new look at Hall 4. The early years: good health for every child.
The three information systems listed, along with the Support Needs System (SNS), together form the Child Health Systems Programme (CHSP). The CHSP is steered by the Child Health Systems Programme Board and the systems are developed and maintained by Atos Origin.
