Draft guidelines issued yesterday call for all UK families to have the option of home safety inspections by trained staff from the NHS or local councils. Health and safety organisations are told to identify homes where children are thought to be most at risk of accidents and ‘offer home risk assessments’.
In some cases, the offer will come after GPs or school nurses have raised the alarm because a child has been to hospital repeatedly for emergency treatment.
‘A home risk assessment involves systematically identifying potential hazards in the home, evaluating those risks and proving information or advice on how to reduce them,’ says the guidance.
The scheme is being condemned by critics as a breach of privacy and a nanny state intrusion into family life.
Sovereign Independent - National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence