Barnet Council has announced today (29 January) that the borough’s Healthy Child Programme is to be delivered by new provider Whittington Health NHS Trust. The programme includes health visiting, school nursing, oral health promotion, healthy weight nurses and infant feeding peer support.
The London Borough of Barnet commissioners and the existing providers, Solutions 4 Health, have mutually agreed to find a new provider for the Barnet Healthy Child Programme and this move will be a positive way of moving forward together.
All services delivered by the Healthy Child Programme will be transitioned from Solutions 4 Health to the Whittington Health NHS Trust with completion and the new contract to begin on 1 April 2024.
Cllr Alison Moore, Chair of Health and Wellbeing Board, Barnet Council, said:
‘The Healthy Child Programme plays an integral role in nurturing the health and wellbeing of our children and young people. I am delighted to be able to confirm that the Whittington Health NHS will be the new provider of such an important programme, which ensures every child is given a healthy and robust start during the most fundamental years of their development and growth.’
Sarah Wilding, Chief Nurse and Director of Allied Health Professionals at Whittington Health NHS Trust said:
“We are excited to be welcoming Barnet’s 0-19 service and its staff into Whittington Health, alongside the integrated therapies, audiology and specialist dentistry services we also provide to local children and young people.
“We already provide these services in Haringey and Islington and have a strong track record of providing high quality, compassionate and personalised care so we are looking forward to working with service users and our new colleagues to make real improvements to the services that children and young people receive.”
All booked appointments will take place as planned in the same locations and with the same care team.