Rukshana Kapasi, Director of Health at Barnardo’s, said:
“Children and young people have been let down by our health system for far too long. The RCPCH’s State of Child Health report is another important reminder that children’s health is in crisis and should be treated as such. Through our Barnardo's’ services, we see this crisis play out every day. We know that without a stronger focus on preventing the drivers of poor health, we risk worse educational outcomes and widening health inequalities for an entire generation.
“That’s why we stand alongside the RCPCH in calling on the government to go further and move faster on childhood health. Because prioritising children’s health isn’t just the right thing to do – it’s essential if we are to live up to the government’s aspirations for the healthiest generation of children ever, change childhoods, change lives and improve outcomes that last a lifetime.”