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Our priorities
- Improve health outcomes through advocacy, empower children to be in control of their own health and wellbeing and putting children and their families at the heart of what happens
- Reduce the number of children who become ill or whose illness progresses unnecessarily due avoidable factors.
- Shape policy and practice in the NHS so that it provides high quality and sustainable healthcare services for all children regardless of the setting in which they receive it and to ensure long lasting improvements to services and systems to improve health outcomes for children.
- Work in partnership with other organisations to implement early intervention strategies and reduce health inequalities for children.
Our impact
- Shaping policy through evidence and expertise
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Our teams translate clinical insight and frontline experience into actionable policy recommendations. By working with paediatricians, researchers, and health system leaders, we:
- develop national policy positions on critical issues such as child poverty, mental health, vaccinations, and access to care
- respond to government consultations and inquiries to ensure children’s needs are represented in reforms
- produce guidance and briefings that inform NHS strategies, parliamentary debates, and public health campaigns.
- Influencing public discourse and political agendas
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Through proactive media engagement and parliamentary advocacy, we ensure that child health remains a national priority. Our teams:
- engage with MPs, Peers, and civil servants to influence legislation and funding decisions
- lead and support coalitions of health organisations to campaign for systemic change
- respond rapidly to breaking news and emerging issues, offering expert commentary and shaping the media narrative.
- Building partnerships for greater impact
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We believe that collaboration is key to achieving lasting change. Our teams work with:
- charities and NGOs to co-develop campaigns and share evidence
- academic institutions to inform research priorities and translate findings into policy
- funders and philanthropists to support innovative projects that address urgent child health challenges.
Working together
The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health is on a mission to improve the health and wellbeing of children and young people both in the UK, and around the world. Can you support us?
- National reach: We influence policy across all four UK nations and around the world.
- Trusted voice: We are a respected authority in paediatrics and child health.
- Proven impact: Our work has led to legislative change, increased funding, and improved services.
We invite you to be a part of this vision to improve health outcomes for children and young people. Contact us on health.policy@rcpch.ac.uk.
Examples of our recent policy and advocacy work
- Our work on the NHS 10 Year Health Plan
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In October 2024, the UK government launched its public engagement initiative, Change NHS, to help shape the NHS 10 Year Plan in England. To help make the case for children and the child health workforce, we developed policy briefings, convened member workshops, engaged over 2000 children and young people and submitted organisational responses based on the expert views of our members.
- Transforming child health services in England: a blueprint
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Children are waiting longer than adults to access healthcare, paediatric services are not recovering at the same rates as adult services, and there is a growing gap between demand and capacity. Our blueprint for transforming child health services, published in September 2024, makes the case for change. It calls on the UK government to commit to restoring health services for children in England.
- Our four-nation campaign to strengthen community child health services
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Services in all four nations of the UK are facing significant challenges in delivering care to children and their families. We have been analysing data where available and gathering insights from our members and are calling for change.
- Facing the Future standards for paediatric care
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Our standards outline how to provide a safe and sustainable, high-quality service that meets the health needs of every child and young person, and cover acute general paediatrics, emergency care, ongoing health needs and care outside the hospital. We are currently updating the full suite of standards, due for publication in spring 2026.
- Our campaign for an RSV vaccination programme
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Following our open letter signed by over 2,000 paediatricians and healthcare professionals, the UK government and devolved administrations confirmed the delivery of a new respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccination programme during pregnancy for infant protection.
- Air pollution companion
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This is a a ‘one stop shop’ to learn about air pollution and child health and integrate it into your practice. This resource was developed in partnership with the Clean Air Fund thanks to a grant enabling us to employ three Clinical Fellows alongside RCPCH policy experts.
- The role of paediatricians in children and young people's mental health
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Childhood mental health problems are common and increasing across the UK. Our position statement, updated in February 2024, outlines the role for paediatricians in prevention, early recognition and holistic care. It also calls for greater investment, support for child health professionals and government action.
Our position on the role of paediatricians in child mental health
- Child health inequalities and poverty
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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 tools to make a difference.