Labour launches child action plan to create “healthiest generation ever”

Labour has set out a child action plan with a pledge to create the “healthiest and happiest generation ever in Britain.”

The plan includes cutting paediatric waiting times, providing more support for child mental health, tackling junk food advertising, and setting up supervised toothbrushing in schools. A Labour government would create a cross-departmental mission delivery board that prioritises child health and includes a focus on inequalities.

Speaking in Manchester at the start of Labour’s “health mission tour,” leader Keir Starmer said, “Thanks to the ‘sticking plaster’ politics of this government, the NHS is on its knees and our children’s health is at risk. Labour will end the scandal of children being held back by health problems like tooth decay, stunting, or mental health problems. Our reforms will slash waiting times for mental health treatment and hospital appointments, put prevention first, and fix NHS dentistry.”

Launching the child action plan, Starmer highlighted significant falling health outcomes for young people. Child obesity levels are currently higher in the UK than France, Germany, Poland, and …