Public health

News

Launching the Sir Peter Tizard Bursary: Supporting the next generation of paediatric researchers

24 July 2025

We are pleased to announce the launch of the 2025 Sir Peter Tizard Bursary, a unique opportunity for early career paediatricians to undertake a national surveillance study through the British Paediatric Surveillance Unit (BPSU).

News

Clean Air Day One month on

18 July 2025

It's been a busy month in the 'Clean Air' world, writes Dr Harry Apperley, who was until recently an RCPCH Clinical Fellow in our Heath Policy team. While there are often peaks of activity, it's gratifying and inspiring to see how the quieter periods of graft and grind come to fruition.

News

More children ill from poverty – bleak paediatricians survey on anniversary of Child Poverty Taskforce

17 July 2025

A survey of paediatricians – published today on the one-year anniversary of government’s Child Poverty Taskforce – reveals that children are experiencing more severe health issues due to poverty, placing a system already stretched thin under much more considerable strain as well as affecting health ...

Resource

Tobacco and Vapes Bill legislative consent in Wales - consultation response

In January 2025, we responded to the Senedd Health and Social Care Committee's call for comments as part of its scrutiny of Legislative Consent Memoranda relating to the Tobacco and Vapes Bill.

Public health

Society

Document

10 Year Health Plan for England - member briefing on the published plan

The UK Government published the 10 Year Health Plan on 3 July 2025, outlining long-term priorities for improving the health system and health outcomes in England. Over past six months the RCPCH Health Policy team have been making the case for children and the child health workforce - with input from...

News

RCPCH welcomes new Best Start in Life strategy and funding

10 July 2025

The new strategy aims to rebuild early childhood support services in England and comes alongside plan for 1000 Best Start Family Hubs to be rolled out across the country.

News

Celebrating research on children's health and wellbeing – from the NIHR Programme Development Grant winners

1 July 2025

In 2024 the National Institute for Health and Care Research partnered with RCPCH to offer significant research funding to address some of the most challenging issues in children’s health and care. A year on, we highlight some of the incredible work being done by the College members who received thes...

News

Barriers to healthcare are preventing UK children from receiving life-saving vaccinations

1 July 2025

In the midst of ongoing measles outbreaks, paediatricians say stubborn barriers to accessing NHS care are contributing to a worrying decline in vaccination coverage of children and young people.

Resource

Vaccination in the UK: Access, uptake and equity

Over the last decade, the uptake of vaccines in the UK has stalled and is in many cases falling. Declining rates of routine childhood vaccination in a country with a well-established universal healthcare system are extremely concerning and pose a significant public health risk, with outbreaks of pre...

Health policy

Public health

Vaccination

News

Child health roundtable, clean air update and new global officer - President's update

30 June 2025

In this edition Steve talks about chairing a Westminster roundtable on child health workforce challenges, highlighting burnout, systemic inefficiencies, and the need for holistic, community-based solutions. He also raises RCPCH launching a Child Health Workforce Alliance and continuing advocacy acr...