It’s time for a Minister for Children’s Health

The UK is raising one of the unhealthiest generations of children in decades. A new report from the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health found that children’s health has either stalled or declined across all 12 of the key areas it examined. (Mirror)

The findings are shocking:
• More than one in three children aged 10–11 are overweight or obese.
• One in five children aged 8–16 has a probable mental health disorder.
• Children in the most deprived areas are four times more likely to die from asthma.
• Infant mortality in the poorest communities is more than double that seen in the wealthiest.
• Only 84% of children receive both MMR vaccinations by age five in England, well below the 95% target. (Mirror)

Children’s health cannot continue to be spread across departments, policies and competing ministerial priorities without one person being directly accountable.

We are calling on the new Prime Minister and Government to install a Minister for Children's Health. We need a Minister for Children’s Health to join up policy across all aspects of health, drive prevention and early intervention; tackle the widening health inequalities affecting children; and ensure that children are no longer an afterthought in government decision-making.

Healthy children become healthy adults. Failing to act now will lead to greater pressure on the NHS, poorer educational outcomes and lifelong consequences for an entire generation.

This should be a national priority. We are calling for a dedicated Minister for Children’s Health and we need your support.