The newly published Scottish budget contains several provisions for children and health services, including:
- Develop the systems necessary to effectively scrap the impact of the two-child benefit cap in 2026.
- Expanding free school meals for P6&7 children in receipt of the Scottish Child Payment.
- Deliver £3 million for a Bright Start Breakfasts pilot, which will test the delivery of free breakfast clubs and kick start more breakfast delivery across Scotland.
- Continued support for the school clothing grant.
- £200m to reduce waiting times. The Finance Secretary has pledged that by March 2026 no one will wait longer than 12 months for a new outpatient appointment, inpatient treatment or day case treatment.
- More community-based support for mental health for teenagers.
- £120m to head teachers for poverty related attainment gap
RCPCH Officer for Scotland, Dr Mairi Stark, said:
We are delighted to see the Scottish Government take forward plans to scrap the unfair and ineffective two child benefit cap in Scotland. This is an important and necessary step in eradicating child poverty in our nation. I’m pleased that Scotland is taking the lead on such a crucial issue.
It’s also a relief to see funding being provided to tackle waiting times. We cannot forget that paediatricians have seen a 114% increase in outpatient waiting times over the past 11 years, as outlined in our Worried and Waiting report. This is a clear signal of a paediatric workforce under immense pressure and an overall failure of Government to prioritise the health and wellbeing of our children. We want to remind the Scottish Government that children and young people must be included and specifically referred to in any funding allocation and plans to reduce waiting times. Often, when children and their health services are not mentioned in plans and policies, they are forgotten completely.
We were glad to see provisions made for the education sector. Schools play a crucial role in promoting children’s health and mental wellbeing. The greater investment for schools, teachers and support staff pledged today is incredibly important. The expansion of free school meals for P6 & 7 children in receipt of the Scottish Child Payment is, of course, appreciated. However, RCPCH Scotland has long called for the expansion of free school meals for all primary school pupils to ensure children have at least one hot, nutritious meal per school day. This would provide a unique opportunity to help improve the health and wellbeing of our future generation. I would urge the Government to roll out free school meals for all primary school children as soon as possible.