The future of primary care in Scotland - consultation response

RCPCH Scotland is supportive of this inquiry. Our briefing paper outlines our key priorities for improving primary care for the next generation.

The inquiry asked for views on:

• what changes are needed within primary care
• what the barriers are to delivering a sustainable primary care system in both urban and rural areas
• monitoring and evaluation.

Our response

• The inquiry should be sensitive to the UNCRC (United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child) in  particular Article 12 and 24.
• Integration of care around the needs of children and young people is crucial to improving their health services and outcomes.
• Children and young people are historically under-represented in quality frameworks.
• It is the responsibility of all health professionals to contribute to solutions that will maximise children’s physical, mental health and wellbeing throughout childhood.

Our recommendations

• General Practitioners (GPs) should be aware of the voice of children and young people and use this as a resource to inform and improve their practice.
• Facing the Future: Together for child health standards work to strengthen services and ensure specialist child health expertise and support are available directly into general practice services.
• There is an opportunity for children and young people to be more accurately counted in quality outcomes framework targets.
• All GPs should receive training so that they are skilled to deal with childhood illness.
• A bespoke child health workforce strategy should be developed.

We respond to a wide range of consultations to ensure that the College’s position, and ultimately children’s health, is represented. Members can get involved in current consultations by contacting the Scotland Team: enquiries-scotland@rcpch.ac.uk.