Children should have more say in how their health care is managed and be given the opportunity to ask more questions, according to two new reports published today.
Giving Children a Voice: An Investigation of Children's Experiences of Participation in Consultation and Decision-Making in Irish Hospitalsand The Child's Right to be Heard in the Healthcare Setting: Perspectives of Children, Parents and Health Professionals,were unveiled today by Minister for Children Brian Lenihan.
They were commissioned under the Children's Research Programme in the Office of the Minister for Children.
Dr Imelda Coyne co-author of Giving Children a Voice
Children are marginalised when it comes to decisions about their health, according to Dr Imelda Coyne, co-author of Giving Children a Voice. "Children want to be involved in the decision-making process," she said.
The focus of the Dr Coyne's report, which she conducted with her colleagues at Dublin City University and Our Lady's Hospital, Crumlin, was to investigate sick children's experiences of participation in consultation and decision-making within the hospital setting.
"Being listened to, being heard and being given the opportunity to ask questions is of most importance for children. Giving children a voice in matters that affect them directly is not the same as giving them the sole responsibility for decisions and their consequences" said Dr Coyne.
Parents can inadvertently obstruct their child's direct communication with health professionals, according to Dr Ursula Kilkelly, co-author of The Child's Right to be Heard in the Healthcare Settingreport .
"Children of all ages have a right to be involved in decisions made about their healthcare both in the community and in hospital. Both health professionals and parents have a key role in making this a reality," she said.
Mr Lenihan said the importance of understanding and planning for the needs of our children was steadily becoming more recognised.
"Both of these reports seek to achieve a better understanding of the needs and experiences of sick children in Ireland and examine the extent to which children's voices are heard within hospitals and healthcare," he said.
A separate report from the Irish Society of Prevention of Cruelty to Children (ISPCC), also launched by Mr Lenihan today, revealed that the social, emotional and instrumental needs of families with a disabled child are currently not being met.
The report showed many families with a disabled child relied on informal supports such as extended family and friends to compensate for the shortfall in quality formal support.
The children's charity called for the provision of appropriate information and support for families as a matter of urgency.