1. Home
  2. Key topics

Child health inequalities

The influence of poverty on children’s health and wellbeing is undeniable. With insight from paediatricians, children and young people, we outline our position on health inequalities to Government, and provide paediatricians with a toolkit to make a difference. It’s time to #ShiftTheDial
Document

Our position - the evidence and policy recommendations for UK

Health inequalities are the systematic differences in health outcomes between different groups of babies, children and young people. They are driven by factors such as ethnicity, income, housing and being looked after by local authorities.

Read our position statement

Our toolkit - watch the introduction, then click on the links below

Illustrations of heads with thinking cogs and speech mark, on background with repeated icon of family - 'Toolkit'

1 - Improve your understanding of child poverty

Understand how child poverty is defined in the UK context, including evidence of how it drives health inequalities and affects child health outcomes.
Improve your understanding
Icons of three people with speech bubble; background with repeated icon of family - 'Toolkit'

2 - Develop skills for talking to families

Many paediatricians may find it difficult to raise questions about poverty with families. We give some tips to make this subject more approachable.
Develop skills
Icon of report with pie chart and checkmarks, with pen - with background of repeated icon of family

3 - Prepare your own QI project

Quality improvement (QI) can be used to improve NHS services that aim to reduce child health inequalities. Collaboration is key, and we outline factors to consider.
Prepare QI project
Icon of unrolled scroll with megaphone - on background of repeated icon of family - 'Toolkit'

4 - Advocate for change

Prevention is better than cure, and inequalities cannot improve without repairing the inherent problems in society. We offer key principles, plus the data to support your case.
Advocate for change
Icon of hand holding placard - background of repeated icon of family - 'Toolkit'

5 -Take national political action

Almost 1,100 members signed our letters to political leaders across the UK last autumn, and over 100 of you wrote to MPs across the UK calling on them to intervene in Parliament.
Find out more and take action
Icon of letter with pencil - background of repeated icon of family - 'Toolkit'

6 - Influence local children's services

Reducing child health inequalities is a priority for health services in all four nations. We provide a template letter, to which you can add your unique perspective, to help shape better care and outcomes locally.
Influence local children's services
Headphones

Podcasts - talking with teams who are making a real difference

In our first episode, Dr Ian Sinha and Dr Alice Lee discuss why paediatricians have a role in addressing inequalities - and how to open up conversations with families.

Next, we hear from teams doing innovative work in quality improvement to better understand the impact of poverty and design NHS services with targeted support.

Podcast - on talking with families
Podcast - interviews with two QI projects

"Everyone deserves the world"

RCPCH &Us asked 500 children and young people across the UK what helps them to stay healthy, happy and well. And to think about why some might have things going on that stops this from happening...

Download letter
Medical case

How are child health teams making a difference?

Our case studies demonstrate how teams are addressing child health inequalities in their local areas.

Get inspired by these best practice examples as you develop your own projects.  

Case studies

Our latest news and blogs on health inequalities

All news
Newspaper icon on bright blue circle on dark blue background
Media response
5 April 2023

RCPCH responds to the Hewitt review

In November 2022, the Rt Hon Patricia Hewitt was commissioned to lead an independent review of integrated care systems in England.