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Committee issues stark warning over England’s child health crisis

The cross-party group scrutinised the critical "first 1,000 days" of a child's life, from conception to age two, concluding that government action is imperative to improve national child health. — The cross-party group scrutinised the critical "first 1,000 days" of a child's life, from conception to age two, concluding that government action is imperative to improve national child health. (Alamy/PA)

A report by the House of Commons Health and Social Care Committee warns that children in England face "some of the worst child health outcomes in Europe," citing rising obesity and inconsistent vaccination rates.
The cross-party committee scrutinised the "first 1,000 days" of a child's life and called for urgent government action to improve national child health.
MPs demanded the immediate and "urgent" rebuilding of the health visiting workforce, which has seen a 43 per cent reduction since 2015, leading to a shortfall of 5,000 posts.
The report urges the Government to commit to recruiting 1,000 more health professionals and to reinstate the target of 95 per cent routine childhood immunisations by July 2029.
Committee members also recommended expanding Family Hubs to ensure these support centres are accessible in every community across England.

Urgent call for action as England found to be among worst in Europe for child health — In full