Statement on Govt. Green Paper ‘Advancing our health: prevention in the 2020s’

We all agree that prevention is better than cure, but years of austerity have decimated preventative children’s services, completely undermining their ability to help children and families as soon as they need it. We need this green paper to reverse this trend...

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National Children’s Bureau statement on the Government Green Paper ‘Advancing our health: prevention in the 2020s’

Anna Feuchtwang, Chief Executive of the National Children’s Bureau, said:

“The Government’s green paper is a welcome commitment to early intervention on health and builds on the important work that is already taking place in NHS England and Public Health England. Although it is light on concrete action, the green paper sets out a direction of travel that could be of real benefit to children and families in the long run.

“We all agree that prevention is better than cure, but years of austerity have decimated preventative children’s services, completely undermining their ability to help children and families as soon as they need it. We need this green paper to reverse this trend and ensure that prevention includes strategic thinking about the social and environmental determinants of health: poverty and inequality, polluted neighbourhoods and poor housing. This wider vision for prevention can only be achieved by developing a cross-government strategy for children, young people and families.

“NCB will be using this consultation to champion a preventative approach to health. We will be calling for a focus on pregnancy, early childhood and mental health, and challenging the Treasury to properly fund public services in the Spending Review to allow this approach to be delivered.”