Healthy Child Programme: final report

Respondents were asked which of the following terms they preferred to describe important things which children do for the first time:

• Milestones
• Developmental firsts

Of the 763 people who responded to the question, the preference was for the term ‘milestones’ (65%), as opposed to ‘developmental firsts (28%). A further 7% of respondents provided alternative terms.

The following table shows the results, broken down by respondent group:

	Developmental firsts	Milestones	Other term	Total (N)
Parent / carer	35%	63%	2%	234
Health visitor	25%	66%	9%	121
Allied health professional	17%	78%	5%	59
Paediatrician	15%	76%	9%	54
Other nurse	36%	57%	7%	42
School nurse	28%	70%	3%	40
General practitioner	23%	65%	13%	31
Midwife	35%	62%	4%	26
Public health professional	21%	54%	25%	24
Early years practitioner	38%	52%	10%	21
Psychologist	21%	64%	14%	14
Informatician	36%	36%	29%	14
Other doctor	8%	67%	25%	12
IT system supplier	40%	60%	0%	5
Teacher	60%	20%	20%	5
Social care worker	0%	100%	0%	4
Psychiatrist	0%	100%	0%	1
Other	21%	71%	7%	56
Total (N)	211	498	54	763

Respondents were asked whether the milestones included in the Personal Child Health Record should be changed. Although some respondents suggested changes to the milestones, the response rate for this question was small. Our framework allows for other milestones to be added or removed as required. The project team recommends that a SNOMED CT list of milestones is defined by the UKTC working with parents and the PRSB.

Respondents were asked if they felt it was appropriate for age appropriate developmental firsts / milestones to be recorded for children older than two years. Of the 735 people who responded to this question:

• 63% felt they should be recorded for children two - five years
• 12% felt they should be recorded for children older than five years
• 12% felt they should not be recorded for children older than two years
• 21% were not sure.

The following table shows the results, broken down by respondent group:

	No	Yes (for children 2 - 5 years)	Yes (for children older than 5 years)	Not sure	Total (N)
Parent / carer	16%	56%	9%	26%	241
Health visitor	16%	64%	8%	17%	124
Allied health professional	5%	72%	14%	19%	63
Paediatrician	15%	74%	11%	9%	58
School nurse	3%	64%	44%	15%	49
Other nurse	7%	63%	9%	30%	47
General practitioner	20%	70%	7%	7%	31
Midwife	12%	56%	12%	28%	27
Early years practitioner	19%	76%	10%	5%	23
Public health professional	10%	60%	20%	20%	22
Psychologist	0%	62%	23%	31%	15
Other doctor	8%	62%	0%	31%	13
Informatician	0%	77%	8%	15%	13
Teacher	20%	80%	40%	0%	7
Social care worker	50%	0%	0%	50%	4
IT system supplier	0%	100%	0%	0%	2
Psychiatrist	0%	100%	0%	0%	1
Other	0%	66%	13%	28%	53
Total (N)	90	464	88	155	735