ACC and Plunket unite to reduce children’s injuries

  • Nikki Kaye
ACC

ACC Minister Nikki Kaye has welcomed a new, ongoing partnership between ACC and Plunket aimed at helping to reduce the number of injuries to children aged under five years.

“ACC will invest $2.3 million over five years to support Plunket to further develop their injury prevention capabilities, and deliver education and initiatives to support parents to reduce the number and severity of injuries to young children,” says Ms Kaye.

Each year, more than 110,000 children aged under five years are injured at home and in the wider community.

“Under the new partnership, ACC will support Plunket to build parents’ understanding of potential hazards, so they can create safer environments for their young children to grow up in.

“It’s hard to think of anyone more trusted than New Zealand’s Plunket nurses and health workers to have conversations with mums and dads about making their homes safer for their little ones.”

Plunket has a long and valued relationship working in partnership with Kiwi families, providing Well Child Tamariki Ora services to nine out of 10 families for the 55,000 babies born in New Zealand each year.

“The new injury prevention focus will see Plunket nurses provide parents with resources to carry out safety checks of their own homes, and support them to keep it a safe place as their children grow up and become more mobile.

“As part of the new partnership with ACC, Plunket will also carry out additional car seat check clinics, and continue to engage parents in Facebook conversations with injury prevention advisors, who will share advice and answer questions about safety.”

Ms Kaye says Plunket’s status as one of New Zealand’s most trusted charities will help ensure safety messages reach a wide public audience.

“It makes a lot of sense for ACC to team up with Plunket to reach out to new mums and dads, to support them to keep their children safe in and around the home.

“This relationship is a further sign of ACC’s focus on working with partners to achieve its injury prevention goals, and it also marks the beginning of a new era for Plunket as it expands its role in supporting families to care for their children.

“ACC has increased its investment in injury prevention, from $30 million in 2014/15 to $50 million last year.

“This increased investment, along with the new partnerships aimed at increasing the reach and effectiveness of injury prevention initiatives, highlights ACC’s commitment to reducing the incidence and severity of injury in New Zealand.”

Notes

Key facts

  • Around 110,000 children aged under five get injured each year.
  • ACC pays out around $80 million annually to support injured under-fives.
  • By the time they’re aged two, 28% of all Kiwi children will require medical treatment after an accident at home.
  • The majority (around 80,000) of injuries to under-fives happen in the home.
  • Falls are the most common cause of injury claims for under-fives, with around 60,000 falls resulting in claims annually (that’s roughly half of the claims received for under-fives).
  • Last year ACC recorded around 4,000 burn injuries to under-fives. Hospital treatment for burns is commonly caused by hot drinks and excessively hot water in baths, showers and sinks.