Consistency important for childhood health

Children who have inconsistent access to health care from a single provider in the long-term are more likely to have untreated medical needs.

That is according to a new study published on the journal Pediatrics, which found that stability is key to children's health and medical care services.

Commenting on the findings, lead researcher Jennifer DeVoe said: "A child without a usual source of care had at least two times the odds of experiencing an unmet need."

The figures revealed that 79 per cent of the children who lacked a usual source of health care had an unmet need compared with 45 per cent who reported having a regular doctor or clinic.

In the UK, families are usually assigned a general practitioner on the NHS, who oversees the primary health care of both parents and children although moving from place to place could result in inconsistent levels of care.

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