We hear from two teams doing innovative work to better understand the impact of poverty on children and young people’s health, and design NHS services that provide targeted support for families.

RCPCH Officer for Health Improvement Dr Helen Stewart interviews the two teams.

First, two trainee paediatricians in Belfast, Dr Naomi Kirk and Dr Anne-Marie McLean, tell Helen about their observational study. This looked at the effects of the cost-of-living crisis on the home and social environment and the health of primary school-aged children in Northern Ireland.

• "We really wanted to identify which children and families are most vulnerable to poor health due to financial strain in the hope that we could then raise awareness and offer support."

Next is a team in Birmingham that's put child health care services right in the heart of the community – to better access the families who need support most. Dr Fran Dutton, a General Practitioner, and Dr Caroline Wolhuter. Head of Innovation, Impact and Early Help at GreenSquareAccord, a national housing and care provider, explain how they have introduced health promotion at every opportunity, liaising with multidisciplinary health professionals and local community services.

• "Think about health promotion in whichever department you're in, be that the community or in the hospital. Think about the experience for the family...Do you offer them a solution?... We need to be helping families access the support that is there for them."

Interested in learning more about child health inequalities? Take a look at the College’s toolkit. This includes advice on how to run your own quality improvement project around the topic, as well as speaking with families about poverty and doing advocacy at a local level. You’ll also find more written case studies.

Download full transcript (PDF)

Summary

00:00 Start and introduction from Helen

02:02 Understanding the effecs of the cost-of-living crisis on primary school children in Belfast - interview with Naomi and Anne-Marie

16:24 Putting child health care services in the heart of this Birmingham community - interview with Fran and Caroline

 37:31 Concluding remarks and how to learn more about child health inequalities

Contacts for our speakers

Naomi and Anne-Marie's study:

• Naomi's email: [email protected]
• Anne-Marie's email: [email protected]

Fran and Caroline's project:

• Twitter: @SparkbrookCZ
• Email: [email protected]