Health Inequalities and Children’s Health
- Dr Jan Macfarlane
- Apr 28, 2025
- 3 min read
Children in the UK are reported as having some of the worst health outcomes in Europe (www.rcph.ac.uk, 2024). This has an effect throughout life and can also lead to experiencing poor health in adulthood. Protecting and investing in the health of our children and young people has clear direct benefits as well as economic ones.
There are a range of socioeconomic factors that contribute to physical and mental outcomes such as social class, employment, education, housing, access to nutrition, social connection, access to health services to name but a few (www.rcpch.ac.uk, Child Health Inequalities, 2024). For example, it is seen that children from lower income families are less likely to access a healthy diet, have more physical and mental issues and are less able to access medical care.
Early years care has a vital role in observing and engaging with children and their families to help increase awareness of the importance of our children’s health. The level of child poverty has increased in the UK and the effects will impact on physical, mental and emotional wellbeing as well as their future education. Linked to the increasing demand on services is, additionally, the shortage of services available in the children’s workforce (www.rcph.ac.uk, Child Health Blueprint, 2024). These services have been underinvested in and not seen as priorities despite the wealth of research that says the services are paramount to children’s future health.
The present government manifesto highlights its support to raise ‘the healthiest generation of children in our history’ (www.labour.org, 2024) and time will tell if it honours this commitment. To their credit the current government have introduced initiatives on toothbrushing, banning advertising of junk food on television after 9.00 p.m. and tackling the use of vapes. This momentum needs to continue. The Kings Fund (2025) outline 10 clear key points that they suggest would be a blueprint for going forward :
Increased allocation of funding to children’s health services
Collaborate with other key departments such as NHS Online and Healthier Together to improve information
Work on reducing staff shortages and improving retention
Deliver on reducing waiting lists for mental health services
Improve vaccination uptake rates
Focus on local pathways to improve children and young people’s health, wellbeing and healthcare services.
Ensure all eligible children get free school meals
Ensure breakfast clubs and school lunches meet school food standards
Involve children and young people in its making of plans
Decide on clear metrics for health improvement e.g. breastfeeding rates, obesity, vaccination rates
As the poverty gap widens we must reach out to continue to find ways to work with others to help alleviate its effects. Where this works well and is responsive to local need there is genuine engagement and healthy partnerships developing (www.nhsconfed.org, 2024). This includes seeing how government and nurseries can work together to support parents with accessible and sustainable childcare. Children’s health is our business and early years care has an essential role to play in this multi-system approach. Although we cannot change the range of socioeconomic aspects overnight we can directly affect the wellbeing of those in our care, our colleagues and ourselves through certain aspects of positive education.
We can (Action for Happiness, 2025):
Mindfully work to act on our priorities
Demonstrate kindness to others
Foster healthy social connections with others
Help others take care of their physical health through movement, exercise and nutrition
Ensure we carry on learning about our area of specialism and be aware of new research and policies
Set our own realistic and achievable goals to excel in what we do
Celebrate our achievements and accomplishments
Reach out and collaborate with others to forge strong networks
Be proud of the service we offer and accept we will continue to grow and develop
Accept there will be challenges and learn from them to improve our resilience
Awareness, prevention, identification and action is our responsibility. It is also a challenge but one we cannot afford to take up. Our future depends on it.
Dr Jan
References
Nolan, J. (2025). Ten actions.
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