Disabled children are a national and local priority; a commitment confirmed nationally in the NHS Operating Framework, the Child Health Strategy ‘Better Care Better Lives’ and the Children’s Plan, and locally in our partnership work with South Gloucestershire Council on the implementation of Aiming High for Disabled Children.

The NHS South Gloucestershire Board monitors how well we are doing on our implementation of Aiming High, and our latest report  to the report to the Board (March 2010) and appendix,  reviews the planned development  for services we currently provide for children with disabilities, complex and palliative care needs.

The report sets out the work we are doing with South Gloucestershire Council, other Primary Care Trusts to jointly commission:

• a new equipment service to improve response to requests for equipment
• a specialist community nursing and psychology services (the Lifetime Service) to support children and young people with complex and palliative care needs
• a single Children’s Community Health Partnership, a service model now in place following consultation with children, young people and their carers.

Within the report we have also identified services that need to be improved. Specifically we are awaiting the Regional review of wheelchair provision to introduce a consistent approach to wheelchair provision across the South West, we are working with other PCT’s across the South West Region to start to commission for hospice care during 2010/2011, and we are working with South Gloucestershire Council to improve our joint assessments of children and young people with complex and palliative care needs.

The Board will continue to monitor the commissioning of services for children and young people with disabilities, complex and palliative care needs and will publish further reports to ensure families are kept informed about the services.

Together with South Gloucestershire Council, we have published a detailed guide on services available to children and young people with disabilities, complex and palliative care needs, the Yellow Book.