Why stop at breakfast? We paediatricians think all of England’s primary pupils should have lunch for free | Steve Turner

There are increasing numbers of children with chronic health conditions. It must be on Labour’s menu to help them

Steve Turner is president of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health

As a nation, we are at a crossroads with child health. Waiting lists are soaring and children now make up three-quarters of all patients who wait more than a year for community health services. When they are eventually treated, their symptoms are more chronic and complex.

As a paediatrician, and the president of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH), I have watched with horror as this all unfolds. The cost of living crisis has dragged down the health of our children. One in five parents say that because of the cost of living crisis, their children’s physical health has suffered. It is no surprise to me that the number of children with eight or more chronic health conditions doubled from 7.6% in 2012 to 14% in 2018.

Steve Turner is president of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health

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