Healthy Start vitamin supplements
- How to get Healthy Start vitamins
- Healthy Start vitamin products
- Administering Healthy Start vitamins
- Vitamin supplement recommendations
Healthy Start beneficiaries are entitled to free vitamin supplements.
Children are entitled to free vitamin supplements from 6 months of age until their fourth birthday.
Women are entitled to free vitamins during pregnancy and up until their baby is one year old.
Two bespoke Healthy Start branded products are available:
- Healthy Start children's vitamin drops
- Healthy Start Vitamins for women
Find out more about Healthy Start vitamin products
NHS Trusts and Health Boards are responsible for making Healthy Start vitamin supplements available, for example:
- through health clinics from reception staff
- through children's centres
- directly from health care professionals or
- through an arrangement with an agent such as a local pharmacy.
Health care professionals should discuss the importance of vitamin supplements with clients and be able to advise them where to get the supplements locally. NHS Trusts and Health Boards should order their own stocks of the supplements and then claim back the cost of those issued free to Healthy Start beneficiaries.
NICE recommend that PCT's make Healthy Start vitamins available to women and children who do not qualify for the Healthy Start scheme. Some PCTs offer this service through Children's Centres and health clinics that already provide vitamins to beneficaries. This is encouraged because they contain the appropriate vitamins at the correct levels as recommended by SACN (Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition). Selling the vitamins can also help PCTs with stock control and increase the profile of the vitamin supplements generally within the community. Healthy Start branded vitamin supplements can be sold to non-beneficiaries at the following prices ( which are inclusive of VAT):
In England and Wales:
Healthy Start Children's vitamin drops: £1.77 per bottle.
Healthy Start Vitamins for women: £0.77p per pot
In Scotland:
Healthy Start Children's vitamin drops: £2.27 per bottle
Healthy Start vitamins for women: £1.21 per pot
In Northern Ireland:
prices not yet available
Find out more about administering Healthy Start vitamins
Use of these vitamin supplements should be encouraged to make sure mothers and children get two important vitamins that they may not be getting in adequate quantities - even from a healthy, balanced diet. These are vitamins A and D for children and vitamin D and folic acid for women.
Find out more about Healthy Start vitamin supplement recommendations