Part 1: Child Poverty, Play and Participation Part 1, Chapter 1: Eradicating Child Poverty Section 9: Health support services: powers of a local authority
30.Subsection (1) gives local authorities a power to provide, secure or participate in the provision of health support services. These services are defined in subsection (4) as services providing assistance in relation to the health of children or parents of children. But in the case of services to parents of children it is a condition of the exercise of the power that the assistance is necessary to secure the well-being of the children of those parents. Health support services under this section do not include the provision of medical, dental, ophthalmic or pharmaceutical services.
31.As with parental support services, authorities can either provide the services directly themselves, commission them from others or collaborate with others in the provision of them.
32.Subsection (2) requires that when exercising their powers under subsection (1) to provide, secure or participate in the provision of nursing services, local authorities must have the agreement of the relevant local health board.
33.Subsection (3) requires that health support and preventative services provided by local authorities using their powers under subsection (1) must be provided free of charge.