22 Apr 2010

School health checks to continue

1:22 pm on 22 April 2010

A health check programme for four year old children is to continue.

A review of the B4 School Check programme was called for by Health Minister Tony Ryall after a poor performance by district health boards.

Mr Ryall says the number of children being checked has jumped since the middle of last year, when the Government warned the programme would be stopped if checks did not increase.

But, he says, there are still some concerns about the delivery of the programme.

Mr Ryall says the aim is to see 80% of high-need four year olds in 2009 and 2010, but it appears DHBs will only see half of that number.