Councils and NHS organisations which have not yet adopted a system for sharing information on vulnerable children have been told they must do so as a priority.
Children and families minister, Nadhim Zahawi, said the Child Protection Information Sharing scheme was an important tool in joining up systems so that doctors, nurses and social workers have a more detailed picture about the vulnerable children they care for.
He was commenting while on a visit to Finchley Memorial Hospital Walk-In Centre in north London to see the system in action.
It links information held by local authorities on looked-after children and those on child protection plans with systems at NHS unscheduled care settings such as emergency departments and minor injuries units.
Mr Zahawi said: 'Keeping children safe is absolutely vital and we want a world-class child protection system that makes sure our vulnerable children get the support they need, when they need it.
'A key part of this is access to information, and the Child Protection Information Sharing project is an important tool in joining up our systems so doctors, nurses and social workers have a more detailed picture about the vulnerable children they care for.'
