Another warning about children's health getting worse

We were happy to see your article about the worsening health of children in the UK. The report was from the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health. However, the article did not mention how the number of health visitors is decreasing and how this affects young children and their families.

Health visitors are described as the most important part of early years support, providing a safety net for all families. They are experienced nurses who help families improve their health and reduce differences in health between people. They offer a service that visits babies and children at home to check on their wellbeing.

Health visitors can help with many of the health problems mentioned in the report. They can help improve health at birth, increase vaccination rates, and support healthy development from a young age. They also help protect children, support parents, and address the social reasons that affect health.

But this profession is in trouble. There are 45% fewer health visitors now than in 2015. This means families are getting less support. To improve children's health and make things fairer, we must invest more in health visiting.

The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health is right to call the state of children's health in the UK a national embarrassment. More money for health services is needed, but the reasons for poor child health are not just about the NHS. The report shows that unfairness is a major cause. Children in poorer areas have higher rates of infant death, obesity, and mental health problems.

Children's health is affected long before they need medical help. It depends on whether families can buy healthy food, live in warm homes, and have safe housing. It also depends on access to parks and schools that are well-funded, and on not living with constant stress from poverty.

After years of budget cuts to local councils, fewer support services, the high cost of living, and increasing child poverty, it is not surprising that health results have not improved. The effects last longer than childhood. As people are not living as many healthy years, more people face lives with illness.

The growing difference between rich and poor children is the result of political decisions. Tackling poverty, unfairness, bad housing, and the cutting of public services would help children's health more than new medical targets. The countries with the healthiest people are those that create good conditions for health to grow.

This report is a wake-up call. The question is, how many more warnings do we need before the government takes action?