The report ‘It Takes a Village: Empowering Families and Communities to Improve Children's Health’ found:
- One third (31 per cent) do not feel prepared to look after their children’s health
- One in five (19 per cent) find it difficult to access professional help for their child’s health when they need it
- As waiting times grow, families say they are increasingly turning to private care, DIY solutions or simply hoping problems resolve on their own.
We have been pleased to support the development of this report, and RCPCH members were also interviewed as part of this project. Read the full report and findings.
RCPCH President, Professor Steve Turner, said:
Childhood is a short but crucial period in our lives where the trajectory of our physical and mental health and wellbeing is established. Paediatricians such as myself know how important it is that we get it right first time in childhood and lay the foundations for a healthy future. This timely report rightly highlights the issues parents face when seeking advice and care for their children, despite the best efforts of health and social care professionals.
The child health workforce is facing unprecedented levels of demand after years of underinvestment and underrepresentation in Government policy. Recently, the UK government has set out several important ambitions when it comes to children’s health and wellbeing, including a pledge to raise the healthiest generation of children and give every child the best start in the life. As a College we welcome these ambitions but are clear they can only be achieved by adequately prioritising children, their families and the workforce that serves them.