Children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities in residential special schools and colleges across England are to be offered free NHS sight, hearing and dental checks.
Tom Cahill, national learning disability and autism director at NHS England, said: “Mainstream services can sometimes struggle to meet the needs of autistic children and young people, or those with a profound learning disability, so these new sensory checks in residential special schools will provide the support they need.
“Having specialist services which take account of an individual’s reasonable adjustments, with support from people that know them well and delivered by appropriately-trained staff, will help ensure that they are able to access sensory checks that other children and young people routinely receive.
“This NHS scheme will mean that around 18,000 children and young people will receive NHS sensory checks ensuring any issues are tackled promptly, reducing health inequalities.’’
Anne Worrall-Davies, NHS England’s Children and Young People’s Learning Disability and Autism and SEND clinical lead, said: “We are delighted that we will soon be able to offer these vitally important checks to children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities in order to reduce health inequalities, identify unmet needs and provide any necessary treatment and follow-up support. The free NHS checks will ensure children and young people in residential special schools are able to lead happier, healthier lives with minimal disruption to their education and routine.”
Minister of State for Care, Stephen Kinnock, said: “I am pleased we will be able to support vital sensory checks for all pupils in special educational settings, in a comfortable and known environment for them. These checks will enable health issues in around 18,000 children and young people to be identified more promptly – tackling health inequalities by giving them access to the right high-quality care and support faster.”
Eyesight checks will be carried out annually for children and young people in all day or residential special education needs schools.
Commenting on the announcement, ABDO clinical lead, Max Halford, said: “ABDO welcomes the government’s focus on providing eyecare for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities in residential special schools and colleges across England. However, it is important to provide eyecare in all special schools and colleges, both residential and daycare”.
“Students who attend such schools and colleges all require on-site specialist care, including the expert dispensing, fitting and ongoing care of spectacles that dispensing opticians can provide, alongside clinical support to their optometrist colleagues.
“We call on the government and NHS England to build on this initial announcement by working with ABDO, fellow sector bodies and third sector organisations to develop a sustainable plan to meet the eyecare needs of all children with special educational needs and disabilities,” Max added.