The charity linked to the NHS trust has made a rare political intervention
The official charity linked to Liverpool’s world leading children’s hospital has called on the new Labour government to put children at the heart of NHS reforms in a rare political intervention. Alder Hey Children’s Charity has launched the Put Children First coalition to end child health inequality in the UK.
In doing so, the charity has made a unique public ask of the government to create a children’s centred health service and made recommendations on how it can save the country billions. This includes a call to end the controversial two-child benefit cap, a move that cost the area’s MP the Labour whip.
In a unique move for a charity linked to an NHS Trust, charity bosses have taken the moment to act after listening to children, parents and clinicians, who are experiencing and witnessing first hand worsening health and wellbeing due to poverty and social inequality. Fiona Ashcroft, chief executive of Alder Hey Children’s Charity, told a room of delegates and young leaders at the hospital’s Institute in the Park for too long children’s health has been “an afterthought” as a result of “social inequality and systematic neglect.”
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The coalition announcement came on the final day of the Labour Party conference in Liverpool earlier this week, hot off the heels of a speech by Wes Streeting MP, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care. Ms Ashcroft said across the city and the country, evidence of health inequalities were plain to see and could only be repaired if “political leaders take action.”
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In a document handed out to those in attendance, the coalition took aim at one particular policy it wants the government to reconsider – the two child benefit cap. The limit means that most families can only receive benefits for their first two children and was brought in by the Conservatives in 2017 and is blamed by many experts for contributing to soaring child poverty across the country.
In its document, the charity spelled out its position on the cap. It said: “Reducing child poverty with measures such as ditching the two-child benefit cap would cut the number of infant deaths and children in care, as well as rates of childhood nutritional anaemia and emergency admissions.”
The coalition’s first campaign Ignite the Sparks seeks to inspire decision makers to make children a political priority, by bringing to life the talents and potential of young people and asking those in charge not to waste their potential. Some of those told the assembled audience at Alder Hey how they would go about reimagining the health service.
Among them was Kacey. She said: “How can we not afford this? If we aren’t given a fair and healthy start to our journey, how can we have a fair and healthy future?”
Issues raised by the young delegates included a need for specific care for 16-18 year-olds, better mental health support and increased focus on food poverty and energy, particularly during winter. The coalition hopes to encourage the government to appoint a children’s health representative to inform the ministerial taskforce on child poverty, including mission boards mooted by Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
Additionally, a commissioning framework should be designed specifically for children and young people to enable partners to jointly commission care that is holistic and makes use of limited resources.
Professor David Taylor Robinson, honorary consultant in public health at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital – said: “We have seen extremely worrying trends in child health indicators over recent years. Liverpool is at the sharp end of these inequalities.
“Over a third of children are growing up in poverty, this is a disaster for child health. It is vital that leaders put children and young people at the centre of policy. What is required is clear: we must tackle child poverty, reinvest in preventative services, and develop a national strategy to address health inequalities.”
