Worcestershire public health nursing team remind families of importance of child's 2-year health review
It's as according to NHS England data around one in four children miss out on their 2 to 2½ year health and development review nationally
Parents and carers across both counties are being told to make sure their children are not missing out on any health check ups which monitor their progress.
Herefordshire and Worcestershire Health and Care NHS Trust is reminding families the importance of the 2 to 2½ year health and development review which can be used to celebrate a child's milestones and pick up on any potential health concerns or worries.
The review focuses on key areas for the child such as growth and physical development and speech and language as well as social skills and behaviour, hearing and vision, sleep routines, and childhood immunisations.
According to NHS England data around one in four children miss the check nationally.
Kate Tate, who is the clinical operational lead for the Worcestershire 0-19 public health nursing service which is delivered by Herefordshire and Worcestershire Health and Care NHS Trust, said: "It's really important that people attend these appointments even if they've not got any concerns about their little one.
"So it's a check to be able to look at their development of general health and it's very often the last point of call that they'll see the health visiting service before they go to school, so it's in preparation for that point as well.
"It's a real vital opportunity to make sure we can identify any emerging health or wellbeing needs and means that any support that we need to put in place is put in, in a timely way."
The review comes as part of the national Healthy Child programme which sees families receive a letter inviting them to an appointment when their child reaches 27 months and take place in areas such as family hubs or child development centres.