Better late than never? An evaluation of community nursing services for children in the UK

Summary• The development of community nursing services for children in the UK was first suggested by Platt in 1959; until recently, however, such services have been rare and children have spent many unnecessary and potentially traumatic days in hospital. • This paper considers the development of community nursing services for children in the UK. • It identifies factors which have promoted the growth of these schemes, and examines the effectiveness of services from professional, managerial and economic perspectives. • The viewpoint of the consumer – the child and family themselves – is also considered.