This special issue on child health comes at a crucial time for children and young people (CYP) in the UK. With over one-third of British children living in poverty according to one measure,1 there is fierce debate about how we can ensure that these key formative years give CYP the best possible start.2 The issue has gained further impetus from recent high-profile reports highlighting the health and wellbeing of Britain’s CYP compared to their European and global counterparts,3,4 and a damning judgement on child poverty in the UK by the United Nations Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights.5 Notwithstanding the limitations of international comparisons, this article describes the UK’s global position in CYP health and suggests tangible actions that GPs can take to help improve outcomes.
PERFORMANCE AGAINST GLOBAL PEERS
The Nuffield Trust recently published reports on the health of CYP in Britain compared to other high-income countries.3,4 Their findings on the UK’s outcomes in early childhood3 (aged 0–4 years) were mixed. In a few areas, including education level, British children were close to the top; however, they were more frequently close to the bottom in crucial areas such as infant mortality, early childhood mortality, breastfeeding, childhood obesity, and female life expectancy. Performance on the remainder of indicators was middling. While the trends of change are generally positive, there …
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