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Overview

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Improving the quality of care for children and young people in Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes (BLMK)

It can be extremely stressful when your child is unwell. We know that there is a huge amount of information available at your fingertips, but finding something that provides clear and accurate information is not always easy!

The resources on the Healthier Together website have been developed in partnership between parents and healthcare professionals from across Bedford, Central Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes. You'll find clear information on common childhood illnesses, including advice on what 'red-flag' signs to look out for, where to seek help if required, what you should do to keep your child comfortable and how long your child's symptoms are likely to last.

Most importantly, the resources are used not only by parents but also by healthcare professionals. This means that you and your child are receiving consistently high quality care, irrespective of which healthcare provider you take them to see. And their advice is likely to mirror that on the Healthier Together website. Reducing unnecessary variation improves the overall quality of care and reduces the parental anxiety that inconsistent advice generates

For more information about the vision of Healthier Together, you can listen to a podcast by clicking here.

Core Principles

  1. Parents feel empowered about whether and when they need to seek the advice of a healthcare professional.
  2. Parents are clearly signposted to appropriate healthcare services when required.
  3. At every point of contact, the healthcare practitioner (doctor, nurse, paramedic, pharmacist) should have a clear understanding of the limits of their own competence and when and where to seek guidance.
  4. Parents should receive consistent and appropriate advice across all the health service providers in BLMK.
  5. Standardisation of local referral pathways and clinical guidelines, which are understood by all healthcare practitioners.
  6. Effective communication and information sharing between healthcare practitioners and services across all health services in BLMK should be in place.

We have actively listened to the views of parents/carers and young people accessing the service as well as the healthcare professionals delivering urgent care paediatric services. By working together we aim to improve how care is delivered to children and young people in BLMK.