The UK has some of the worst health outcomes for young children in Europe. But a new report by the Health and Social Care Committee says that improving access to health visitors and Family Hubs, while boosting vaccine uptake could help improve the lives of infants in England.
The cross-party Committee’s report focuses on the first 1,000 days of life, from conception to age two. This period is universally recognised as a critical window for shaping brain development and future mental and physical health. A primary recommendation to the Government is that Family Hubs, where parents can get expert advice and support, should be rolled out to more communities where need is greatest. Family Hubs should also offer improved perinatal mental health services to caregivers.
The last decade has seen a collapse in the number of health visitors meaning they can’t help everyone who needs it because of excessive caseloads. The Health and Social Care Committee says that the Government must commit to recruit at least 1,000 more. Every parent and infant should receive a minimum of six health visits during the early years.
The Health and Social Care Committee adds that the Government urgently needs a new strategy to turnaround the falling vaccination rates and should aim for 95% coverage throughout England. It should explore ways to train health visitors to deliver vaccinations; increasing the size of the workforce should simultaneously improve vaccination rates.
Speaking on behalf of the Committee, Paulette Hamilton MP said: “Children growing up in our country today stand too great a chance of becoming overweight, developing asthma or tooth decay, or catching life-threatening yet preventable diseases due to missed vaccines. The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health says the UK has some of the worst health outcomes for young children in Europe. This should be a source of shame.
“Over the last two decades we have seen a hollowing out of health services for infants – the Family Hubs programme still barely touches the sides of what was once provided by Sure Start centres before they were forced to close. And our provision of health visitor appointments is woefully inadequate in some parts of the country.
“This Committee now calls on the Government to reestablish health visiting as a cornerstone of the state’s support for families in communities across England, offering help with perinatal mental health, advice on a range of issues on health and development and helping to get more children vaccinated against illnesses which should be all but non-existent in 21st century Britain.”
