All children in Europe have the Right to the Highest Attainable Standard of Health and Health Care, based on Primary Health Care

All children have the right to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health

Primary Health Care is the basis and foundation for preventive and therapeutic health care

All children have the right to access appropriate facilities for the treatment of illness and rehabilitation of health

All children in Europe have the Right to Timely Access to Appropriate Primary Health Care without discrimination of any nature

Primary health care services for children should be appropriate, particularly with regard to their age

Such provision should adhere to the principles of Availability, Accessibility, Affordability and Acceptability of services

Such services should be culturally and linguistically appropriate

Children are not the creators of their circumstances; services should be equally available to all children within a country, regardless of location, family circumstances, creed, ethnicity or civil status

Primary Health Care services, and the need for supporting and related services, should be the subject of specific plans, constructed with input from stakeholder representation including children and resourced appropriately

All children in Europe have the Right to Privacy and Confidentiality in all aspects of seeking or enjoying primary health care service

Consultation should be in private

The fact of seeking or receiving a consultation, or any form of follow-up, should itself be confidential

All children in Europe have the Right to a Child-centric Focus in all aspects of primary health care provision.

Planning and provision of services for children should be focussed first and foremost on the child’s (or group of children’s) needs

In the making of decisions about a treatment, or service provision, the interest of the child or children should be foremost, including their safety

All children in Europe have the Right for their Parents or Primary Caregivers to Receive Appropriate Education and advice to improve the child’s health and health behaviours.

Information regarding children’s health and health behaviours should be available to parents and caregivers, in accessible form

Parents and caregivers should be advised of the availability of appropriate information and how to access it

As appropriate, accessible child health-related education including health literacy should be available to parents and caregivers

All children in Europe, or parents acting as agents of younger children, have the Right to Choice of Primary Health Care Provider

Choice of provider is important in engendering trust, as well as ensuring appropriateness

Older children may wish to choose a provider other than the one selected by their parents, in order to ensure confidentiality and empathy

Ability to access specific types of primary care provision is important to maintaining the mental, reproductive and physical health of older children

All children in Europe have the Right to Confidentiality and Control of their Primary Health Data

Primary health records, and health data, should always be subject to clinical confidentiality.

Children, or parents acting on their behalf, should be advised when external parties have accessed their record – including hacking

Children who are old enough to understand, and parents acting on behalf of younger children, should have access to their health record and data in line with policy and good practice

All children in Europe have the Right to be Informed about and Participate in their Primary Health Care processes

Appropriate to their age and maturity, children have the right to be informed about their health and related health care issues

The views and perceptions of the child should be sought and taken into account in health care delivery decision-making

To the greatest extent possible, children should be co-producers and co-managers of their own health and health care

Where a longer-term condition necessitates care at home linked to primary care, all children in Europe and their informal care team have the Right to Coordinated and Appropriate Care

The need for ongoing health (and as appropriate related social or other) care should be communicated and documented

Where necessary, a care coordinator should be designated

The overall plan, pathway and objectives of care should be agreed by all parties – child, family carers and professionals

Appropriate respite care, for the benefit of the child and informal carers, should be a part of the plan for children with long-term conditions or where necessitated by carers’ needs

When a child’s health condition necessitates hospital admission, all children in Europe have the Right to a Planned, Prepared and Timely Hospital Discharge linked to Primary Care support

Discharge planning should commence at the time of admission (whether emergency or planned)

Primary health care services, and community or specialised health and care support as needed, should be involved in planning and informed of the final plan, arrangements and date of discharge

The needs and views of the child, and of family and other informal carers, should be acknowledged, documented and accommodated as far as possible

Older children in Europe with a long-term health condition have the Right to a Planned Transition to Appropriate Adult Services, linking specialist and primary care services

Transition planning should be initiated by the lead specialist, linking with adult service partners and with primary care

The child should be fully involved in preparation of the transition plan and should be considered a co-designer

Depending on the condition, and on local services, the transition may be before or after the 18th birthday

Where children’s primary care is provided by dedicated community paediatricians, the double transition of primary and specialist care to adult services should be planned carefully

All children in Europe have the Right to Quality and Equity of Primary Health Care Services (and related services) through Good Governance to enable fulfilment of their Rights

There should be defined standards for aspects of service structure (including professional skills), access and delivery

All personnel treating children in primary care should be appropriately trained for their role with children

There should be open and transparent governance and quality assurance processes, ensuring efficacy and safety of services