Scrapping the Healthy Kids Check: a lost opportunity

The HKC was introduced into general practice in 2008, policy that reflected advances in neuroscience (eg, the evolution of brain architecture, critical time points for development and the benefits of early intervention) and significant health shifts towards prevention. Uptake of the health assessment was slow (16% of eligible children in its first year) and beset by argument about a lack of evidence for some of its mandatory components and by scaremongering about labelling 3-year-olds with mental health diagnoses. In the ensuing negative debate, it was easy to forget major barriers to preventive health care before the HKC: sick child consultations, poor remuneration, lack of time, resources and training, and the ever-increasing demands of chronic disease management in an ageing population. Nevertheless, over the next 7 years, uptake of the HKC climbed to 50%, as practice nurses were upskilled and parents were incentivised by tax benefits. Our research with practitioners, 3 years after its introduction, indicated that in some circumstances, the HKC had acted as a catalyst for general practitioner and practice nurse (PN) role development, and in some cases promoted an entire practice shift towards preventive health care for young children. The important contribution made by PNs, in particular, has been overlooked by the government in its statement that GPs can continue to provide health assessments as part of Medicare-funded general GP attendance items, because PNs are excluded from those services.