February 2019
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This conference assessed the next steps for children and young people’s health - including the impact of government policy initiatives, and key issues for coordination and implementation.
Policymakers and key stakeholders assessed the priorities for child health and the implementation of the NHS Long Term Plan including allocating funding, and next steps for reducing inequalities, supporting the children’s health workforce and improving standards.
They considered the impact of proposed measures to improve the transition from children’s to adults’ services for young people, as well as quality of care for children with long term conditions.
The agenda also looked at policy initiatives for reducing childhood obesity in England.
Delegates assessed the Government’s plan of action for childhood obesity, and in the context of responses to the Department of Health and Social Care’s recent consultations on restricting promotions of food linked to childhood obesity, the sale of energy drinks to children and on including calorie information on food and drink served outside the home.
There was discussion on priorities for reducing inequalities in children’s health in England and lessons that can be learnt from other countries to improve child health.
It followed reports from the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, estimating that health outcomes of children and young people in 2030 will be significantly poorer in England compared to other wealthy European and western countries - as well as finding that, inequalities have not been reduced despite steps towards improving child health in England having been made.
The seminar was also an opportunity to discuss children and young people’s mental health, in light of government plans for designated mental health leads in every school and college by 2025, moves to reduce waiting times and a collaborative programme of research, including into the impact of social media.
Delegates examined the recent commitment by the NHS in its Long Term Plan to increase funding for children and young people’s mental health services at a faster rate than both overall NHS funding and total mental health spending. It also followed the National Audit Office report, which found that the Government has a significant way to go in achieving its ambitions for children and young people’s mental health services, due to a lack of data and slow progress on workforce expansion.
