New programme to transform healthcare for children and young people

An innovative change programme funded by Guy’s and St Thomas’ Charity will transform local health services for the 190,000 children and young people in Lambeth and Southwark.

The Lambeth and Southwark Children and Young People’s Health Partnership (CYPHP) is an ambitious programme – one of the biggest of its kind in Europe – to bring together organisations and families to improve everyday healthcare and care for long-term conditions.

Guy’s and St Thomas’ Charity has committed £6.7 million over four years, and has released almost £2.8 million to start applying a new model of care.

The grant will help CYPHP to improve child health and everyday healthcare by:

• creating ‘child health teams’ of GPs and other primary care staff working more closely with paediatricians, mental health workers and other specialists, with a greater focus on health promotion
• delivering children’s healthcare closer to home
• training health and non-health professionals, including teachers, to identify and address the physical and emotional needs of children 
• breaking down boundaries to centre care around children’s needs and make services more friendly and accessible 
• addressing health inequalities for the most vulnerable children, for example by investing in meeting the specific health needs of looked-after children and young people.

Dr Ingrid Wolfe, Evelina London consultant and programme director for the Lambeth and Southwark CYPHP, said: "It is very exciting and a great privilege to be involved in this enthusiastic partnership, working together to improve child health. Through supporting families and professionals to provide better care at home and in community settings, such as GP practices and schools, we will respond to the local needs of parents, children and young people. With the new support from Guy’s and St Thomas’ Charity, we are all looking forward to implementing the work we have started.”

Kieron Boyle, Chief Executive of Guy’s and St Thomas’ Charity, adds: “The health of children and young people has to be the highest priority. Sadly, across the UK and here in South London, we’re not doing as well as we need to be. The UK has one of Europe’s highest child mortality rates and child mortality in Southwark is 30% higher than the average in England. Young people’s A&E attendances in Lambeth and Southwark are also higher than the national average.

“The Lambeth and Southwark Children and Young People’s Health Partnership will make a vital contribution to addressing these and other issues for the long-term. Our hope is that the programme will help to change mind-sets, test new approaches and inspire similarly ambitious work elsewhere.”

Lambeth and Southwark CYPHP partner organisations include Lambeth and Southwark Clinical Commissioning Groups, Lambeth and Southwark councils, GP Federations, parents, carers and young people, as well as Guy’s and St Thomas’ (which includes Evelina London), King’s College Hospital and South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trusts.