Children Harmed By Decision To Redeploy Health Visitors, Covid Inquiry Hears

A determination by nan NHS to redeploy wellness visitors during nan pandemic was "fundamentally flawed" and "children were harmed" arsenic a result, nan caput of a wellness visiting kindness has told nan Covid inquiry.

Many wellness visitors were sent to activity successful different parts of nan NHS astatine nan opening of nan pandemic.

Alison Morton, CEO of nan Institute of Health Visiting, told nan enquiry it was "inappropriate" arsenic they "were needed astir connected their ain beforehand line".

NHS England's Chief Nursing Officer Duncan Burton told nan enquiry its consequence to safeguarding did not extremity passim nan pandemic contempt unit being diverted to captious services.

Health visitors successful almost two thirds of trusts successful England were redeployed successful March 2020, according to investigation by University College London.

The volition was that they would spell to activity successful hospitals to support acutely sick patients but immoderate were sent to do administration, to present parcels and to reply telephones, nan enquiry heard.

Some wellness visitors who remained successful station were near pinch lawsuit loads of 750 children aliases more, measurement supra nan recommended 250, grounds provided by Prof Catherine Davies, of Leeds University, to nan enquiry showed.

"We fto families down", Ms Morton told nan inquiry, saying protection was not afforded to babies and that "some children paid nan highest price".

The enquiry was shown investigation by nan kid safeguarding reappraisal believe sheet which identified Covid adaptions, specified arsenic virtual visits arsenic opposed to location visits by wellness visitors, arsenic factors successful nan deaths and superior incidents of immoderate children.

Children for illustration Star Hobson and Arthur Labinjo-Hughes - who were some killed by their guardians during nan pandemic - deed nan headlines but location were galore others, Ms Morton told nan inquiry.

"Children were being harmed by these practices," she said.

"It had life-changing and life-ending consequences for these children and they were nan canary successful nan coalmine and we needed to perceive to them and make their voices count moreover successful their deaths".

"For me, it was nan astir sad portion of nan pandemic, really we fto those children down", Ms Morton added.

The Institute of Health Visiting - a kindness and master assemblage that useful to fortify nan value and consistency of wellness visiting believe - said it was successful regular interaction pinch nan authorities successful nan summertime of 2020 raising concerns and yet a missive was sent by nan NHS saying redeployments must end.

The assemblage besides had to make "a beardown intervention" for location not to beryllium different redeployment successful December 2020, nan enquiry was told.

The enquiry is owed to perceive grounds from those who were successful authorities astatine nan clip successful nan adjacent 2 weeks.

Earlier, Duncan Burton, nan Chief Nursing Officer for England told nan inquiry, astatine nan commencement of pandemic, nan NHS was dealing pinch a caller microorganism and unit had to beryllium freed up to thief pinch with captious services.

He said NHS England's consequence to safeguarding activity did not extremity passim nan pandemic but it did change.

"For example, we made judge that nan unit successful testing centres were trained astir safeguarding and what nan things they mightiness request to look for.

"And arsenic much objective contacts happened online, we needed to make judge that nan benignant of guidance astir online factored successful nan safeguarding needs of children."

The enquiry besides heard astir nan determination by nan NHS to support children retired of nan healthcare strategy unless basal and to region elective procedures for children successful March 2020.

The NHS was focusing connected freeing up beds for captious care, nan enquiry heard, and Mr Burton said "we had to attraction connected that".

"We did not propose stopping thing that was urgent", Mr Burton said but "there was a equilibrium of prioritisation".

Children's waiting lists grew astatine doubly nan complaint of big database during nan betterment play aft nan pandemic, NHS England information which was shown to nan enquiry indicated.

Mr Burton's grounds noted that children's procedures being seen "as little of a privilege compared to, for example, big crab treatment" was 1 of nan reasons for nan emergence successful children's waiting lists size.

He said nan truth that children's operations are chiefly done successful much master hospitals and location is simply a smaller workforce mightiness besides person added to delays.

Some of nan biggest waiting lists are for reside and connection appointments - pinch schools seeing a immense summation successful students needing further help.

Children were "hugely and irretrievably damaged" by nan indirect consequences of nan pandemic, Prof Steve Turner, from nan Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, told nan inquiry.

"They are 25% of nan organization and they person 11% of NHS spend."

They are not treated arsenic successful our nine and became a little privilege successful nan pandemic and successful nan betterment period, Prof Turner said.

This portion of nan Covid enquiry is looking astatine nan effect of nan pandemic connected children and young people, and whether they were considered successful cardinal decisions made by government.