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Child health inequalities and poverty

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. We need to #ShiftTheDial
Document

Child health inequalities driven by child poverty in the UK - our position

RCPCH believes that health must be a core consideration in any mission to tackle child poverty and improve outcomes for children and young people.

Read our position statement (updated August 2024)

Our toolkit - watch the introduction, then click on the links below

Illustrations of heads with thinking cogs and speech mark, on background with repeated icon of family - 'Toolkit'

1 - Improve your understanding of child poverty

Understand how child poverty is defined in the UK context, including evidence of how it drives health inequalities and affects child health outcomes.
Improve your understanding
Icons of three people with speech bubble; background with repeated icon of family - 'Toolkit'

2 - Develop skills for talking to families

Many paediatricians may find it difficult to raise questions about poverty with families. We give some tips to make this subject more approachable.
Develop skills
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3 - Prepare your own QI project

Quality improvement (QI) can be used to improve NHS services that aim to reduce child health inequalities. Collaboration is key, and we outline factors to consider.
Prepare QI project
Icon of unrolled scroll with megaphone - on background of repeated icon of family - 'Toolkit'

4 - Advocate for change

Prevention is better than cure, and inequalities cannot improve without repairing the inherent problems in society. We offer key principles, plus the data to support your case.
Advocate for change
Icon of hand holding placard - background of repeated icon of family - 'Toolkit'

5 -Take national political action

Almost 1,100 members signed our letters to political leaders across the UK last autumn, and over 100 of you wrote to MPs across the UK calling on them to intervene in Parliament.
Find out more and take action
Icon of letter with pencil - background of repeated icon of family - 'Toolkit'

6 - Influence local children's services

Reducing child health inequalities is a priority for health services in all four nations. We provide a template letter, to which you can add your unique perspective, to help shape better care and outcomes locally.
Influence local children's services
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Podcasts - talking with teams making a real difference

In our first episode, Dr Ian Sinha and Dr Alice Lee discuss why paediatricians have a role in addressing inequalities - and how to open up conversations with families.

Next, we hear from teams doing innovative work in quality improvement to better understand the impact of poverty and design NHS services with targeted support.

Podcast - on talking with families
Podcast - interviews with two QI projects

"Everyone deserves the world"

RCPCH &Us asked 500 children and young people across the UK what helps them to stay healthy, happy and well. And to think about why some might have things going on that stops this from happening...

Download letter
Medical case

Case studies

Our case studies demonstrate how teams are addressing child health inequalities in their local areas. Get inspired by these best practice examples as you develop your own projects.  

Case studies
Children and parent

Child health inequalities and climate change

Climate change poses an existential threat, but it is not experienced equally. Our toolkit, published October 2023, supports paediatricians to take action locally, regionally and nationally on this issue.
Toolkit and position on health inequalities and climate change

News and blogs on health inequalities

All news
Health professionals in scrubs walking down hospital corridor
Media response
13 December 2024

Health inequalities rampant in PICU admissions

The Paediatric Intensive Care Audit Network (PICANet) has published a report summarising paediatric critical care activity within paediatric intensive care units (PICU) between 2021 and 2023.