Public health communicators should stop telling people to rely on their instincts

The current Streptococcus A outbreak is causing much concern in the UK. The tragic death of 16 children has made the headlines, and health services are struggling to cope with a surge of anxious children and their parents.12 In the meanwhile, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has disseminated public health advice through outlets, including schools, to raise awareness among parents about the actions to take if a child is symptomatic.UKHSA’s advice contains much sensible, factual information. But one element sits at odds with this. The guidance says: “Parents know when their child is not themselves, so if you think your child is poorly and getting worse, trust your instincts and contact NHS 111 or your GP.”3There are two assumptions here. Neither is necessarily correct. Firstly, do parents always know when their child is “not themselves?” We know that appraising your own symptoms is challenging. This partly explains why so…
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