COST OF LIVING: Doctors already seeing crisis impact on children and young people
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The cost-of-living crisis is already impacting the health and wellbeing of children and young people, according to the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH).
A survey found that 60 per cent of paediatricians across the UK believe they are seeing rising mental health concerns, increased poor nutrition and a rise in families being unable to attend medical appointments.
The RCPCH described health inequalities as the avoidable, unfair, and systematic differences in health outcomes between different groups of babies, children and young people – much of it driven by child poverty.
RELATED: Children across Scotland deserve better
Lifelong health inequalities take root in childhood and impact a person’s future, according to the RCPCH, which says data consistently shows that poverty and inequality affect education, housing, social environment and health outcomes.
“In an affluent society such as ours it is wholly unacceptable for children and their families to lack food, shelter, clothing and fuel. The cost-of-living crisis this winter has created a perfect storm where health inequalities are predicted to get far worse. This will without a doubt destroy the lives of children and young people, it will take away opportunities and stop them reaching their full potential." Dr Mairi Stark, RCPCH officer for Scotland
And things look like they will get worse as the Resolution Foundation suggests the Scottish child poverty rate will reach 29 per cent by 2023/24, the highest in more than 20 years but that estimate pre-dates the current crisis.
Dr Mairi Stark, RCPCH officer for Scotland, said: “In an affluent society such as ours it is wholly unacceptable for children and their families to lack food, shelter, clothing and fuel.
“The cost-of-living crisis this winter has created a perfect storm where health inequalities are predicted to get far worse. This will without a doubt destroy the lives of children and young people, it will take away opportunities and stop them reaching their full potential.
“Resources published today by RCPCH will arm paediatricians with the tools they need to make concrete differences and real improvements in the lives of children and young people, but poverty needs to be tackled via policy as well. To help Scottish families through the cost-of-living crisis and tackle insidious inequalities in our nation, child poverty targets must be met.”
