Joint statement on Labour's Child Health plans
Following the Labour Party's announcement of their Child Health plans, Barnardo's and the Children's Charities Coalition have released a joint statement:
"A child’s health, wellbeing and life chances are shaped by their circumstances and early life experiences and, as charities working to support babies, children and young people, we’ve urged politicians to act on worsening child health outcomes. It is unacceptable that in England today the most deprived 10% of children are nearly twice as likely to die as the most advantaged 10% of children.
"We welcome Labour’s focus on tackling child health inequality and the recognition that a child’s wellbeing is shaped by their mental health as well as their physical health. Cutting NHS waiting times for mental health treatment and providing specialist mental health support in all schools would be transformational.
"The Labour pledge to create a cross-departmental delivery board prioritising child health is a welcome step. All of Government must come together to solve the health challenges babies, children and young people across the UK face.
"We want all political parties and leaders, including Labour, to commit to an ambitious cross-government strategy and outcomes framework that will drive improvements for babies, children and young people across all areas of their lives. Underpinning this must be a commitment to end child poverty once and for all, with new legislation and a clear deadline for eradicating a harm which damages and destroys many children’s lives."