The proposed digital product would sit alongside the printed Personal Child Health Record, widely known as the Red Book, which has been used by parents and carers across the UK to track their child's health and development since the 1980s. The new digital offer would comprise a parent/carer-facing mobile app and a clinical back-office web application, giving families and health professionals a modern, connected way to record and access a child's early health information.
The MoU builds on RCPCH and Harlow Printing's existing relationship and establishes a framework for moving from an agreement in principle towards a formal development and commercial agreement. Development is expected to take around nine months from commencement, with pilot activity to be agreed before any public launch.
Professor Steve Turner, RCPCH President, said:
The Red Book is one of the simplest and most enduring tools we have to record early child health and wellbeing. This parent/carer-held resource records growth from birth to school age, developmental milestones, vaccinations and clinical encounters in one place that parents can turn to and professionals can trust.
With our recent State of Child Health report showing child health outcomes worsening, it is vital we make it as easy as possible to keep track of a child’s progress. A digital version of the Red Book can allow quick access to records where the book isn’t to hand, and would enable rapid update to parents of important health information.
Professor Helen Bedford, Chair of the Personal Child Health Record Committee, said:
The paper red book is well recognised and valued by parents, and a digital version brings advantages which will help drive much needed improvements in child health. For example, it puts a child's vaccination history in one place that's always accessible, with automatic reminders so parents and health professionals can see at a glance a child’s vaccine status. Timely vaccination is important, and children can often fall behind because their parents simply do not know which vaccines are due when. We saw with the recent measles outbreaks how much harder it is to protect children when that information isn't readily available. Digitising the Red Book so a record is readily accessible for parents and health professionals is a practical way to close that gap.
Ian Parrett, College CEO, said:
We're delighted to be embarking on this journey with Harlow to explore bringing the red book into the digital age. This is exactly the kind of practical, evidence-led change that makes a real difference for our members and children and young people. Partnerships like this are how we turn our ambitions for child health into reality, and I look forward to seeing the difference it makes.
Jack Harrison, Managing Director at Harlow Solutions, said:
The Red Book is one of the most recognisable and trusted resources in child health. For more than 40 years, parents and health professionals have relied on its simple, tangible format. We are incredibly proud of our long-standing relationship with the RCPCH. Our vision is not to simply replace the physical Red Book but build on its success. A digital Red Book is a natural progression, offering an additional way to access and interact with important health information, by providing convenient access to vaccination records, health updates, reminders and appointments. This partnership is about bringing together the strengths of both formats and support the next chapter in the Red Book’s history.