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children are there England Are facing “some of the worst kids healthy European achievements”, prompting member of congress Call for an “urgent” rebuilding of the health care workforce.
A new report from the House of Commons Health and Social Care Committee has issued a stark warning, highlighting rising levels of infant obesity and “uneven” vaccination coverage.
The cross-party group took a closer look at the crucial “first 1,000 days” of a child’s life, from conception to the age of two, and concluded the government must take action to improve child health across the country.
Committee members urged ministers to extend their commitment to family centers and ensure every community has access to these vital support centres.
Crucially, they called for immediate efforts to “urgently rebuild the patient workforce,” which has suffered a significant 43% reduction since 2015.
This has resulted in a shortage of 5,000 positions, with remaining staff managing “dangerously high” caseloads, the report said.
MPs are demanding an immediate commitment from the government to recruit an additional 1,000 health professionals who either have nursing or midwifery qualifications or have additional training in public health nursing.
The report also calls on the NHS to return to its target of providing routine childhood immunization to 95% of children.
MPs challenged the government to commit to achieving the 95% target by July 2029.
Committee member Paulette Hamilton said: “Children growing up in our country today are too likely to be overweight, develop asthma or tooth decay, or contract life-threatening but preventable diseases from missed vaccines.
“The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health says the health of young children in the UK is the worst in Europe. It should be a shame.
“Over the past two decades we have seen the hollowing out of infant health services – family center programs still barely touch upon the services Sure Start centers provided before they were forced to close.
“In some parts of the country we are woefully under-served with health visitor appointments.”
Birmingham Erdington Labor MP added: “The committee is now calling on the government to re-establish health visiting as a cornerstone of national support for families in communities across England, provide help with perinatal mental health, provide advice on a range of health and development issues and help more children be vaccinated against diseases that are almost non-existent in 21st century Britain.”
Alison Morton, chief executive of the Health Visiting Institute, said the decline in health visiting numbers was “leaving too many families without the support they need”.
She continued: “We look forward to the Government’s response and continued support to turn the ambition of ‘giving every child the best start in life’ into reality.”
Commenting on the report, Dr Helen Stewart, officer for health improvement at the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, said: “Waiting times for children’s health services are extremely long, childhood vaccination rates have plummeted and parents often struggle to find the right support and advice, while children fail.”
“We must reverse the decline in children’s health to secure our future.”
Tamora Langley, director of policy at the Parenting Foundation, added: “The government’s 10-year health plan promises to roll out healthy baby services to every local authority, but they haven’t revealed when. Babies can’t wait.”
“For parents who are struggling to connect with their children, getting help quickly is key.
“This essential support should be available to every home, everywhere, so it’s great to see this respected committee calling for further action.”
The Department of Health and Social Care has been contacted for comment.