The National Health Service (General Medical Services Contracts) (Wales) Regulations 2023

Child health surveillance

2.—(1) A contractor must in respect of any child under the age of 5 for whom it has responsibility under the contract—

(a) provide all the services described in sub-paragraph (2), other than any examination so described which a parent refuses to allow their child to undergo, until the date on which the child attains 5 years of age, and

(b) maintain the records specified in sub-paragraph (3).

(2) The services referred to in sub-paragraph (1)(a) are—

(a) the monitoring of the health, well-being and physical, mental and social development (which together are referred to in this paragraph as “development”) of a child under 5 years of age with a view to detecting any deviations from normal development—

(i) by the consideration of any information concerning the child received by or on behalf of the contractor, and

(ii) on any occasion when the child is examined or observed by or on behalf of the contractor (whether pursuant to paragraph (b) or otherwise);

(b) the examination of a child at a frequency that has been agreed with the Local Health Board in accordance with the nationally agreed evidence based programme set out in the latest clinical guidance in relation to the Newborn and Infant Physical Examination Cymru, and the Local Health Board or the contractor may seek the views of the relevant Local Medical Committee prior to reaching agreement on the appropriate frequency of such examinations.

(3) The records specified for the purposes of sub-paragraph (1)(b) must be an accurate record of—

(a) the development of the child while under 5 years of age, compiled as soon as is reasonably practicable following the first examination of that child and, where appropriate, amended following each subsequent examination, and

(b) the responses (if any) to offers made to the child’s parent for the child to undergo any examination referred to in sub-paragraph (2)(b).