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Are children being failed in the UK? Children 'failed on grand scale'
(about 2 hours later)
Children are being failed on a grand scale when it comes to their health and well-being - or so says a report by the British Medical Association. Children in the UK are being failed on a "grand scale" when it comes to their health and well-being, according to the British Medical Association.
That may come as a surprise to many. The BMA acknowledged death during childhood was rare and living standards high.
After all, death during childhood is rare and living standards are high. But it said that masked a number of underlying problems with the way illnesses were managed and health and well-being promoted.
And with several world-renowned children's hospitals - Great Ormond Street and the Evelina in London and Liverpool's Alder Hey - the UK would seem to have much to boast about. And it warned cuts to social care and welfare could make the problems worse.
But that masks a number of underlying problems, says the BMA's report, Growing Up in the UK. The BMA's report, Growing Up in the UK, highlighted issues such as obesity and foetal alcohol syndrome (babies who are born with disabilities due to the mother's drinking) as public health problems about which little was being done.
It highlights issues such as obesity and foetal alcohol syndrome (babies who are born with disabilities due to the mother's drinking) as public health problems about which little is being done. It also said there were problems with how the most common childhood diseases were dealt with.
Even with the most common childhood diseases, such as asthma, it says, few children are getting the help they need to ensure their quality of life is what it should be. For example, just 3% of children with asthma have their own care plans, which are deemed essential in allowing patients and their parents to keep the conditions under control.
And while child mortality remains low, the UK still has 1,600 more deaths a year than other developed countries, partly because of a poor record in preventing accidents. It also said the UK had higher rates of child mortality than other developed countries - equating to 1,600 excess deaths a year.
AusterityAusterity
The report, produced by the BMA's board of science, also points to research which shows one in 10 children is unhappy. The report, produced by the BMA's board of science, also pointed to research that suggested one in 10 children was unhappy.
Overall, the UK is ranked 16th in the United Nations league table of well-being - that is below the likes of Slovenia, Portugal and the Czech Republic.Overall, the UK is ranked 16th in the United Nations league table of well-being - that is below the likes of Slovenia, Portugal and the Czech Republic.
The index takes into account factors such as health and safety, education and housing.The index takes into account factors such as health and safety, education and housing.
What is more, the BMA report also warns the situation may get worse in the coming years. Prof Averil Mansfield, chair of the BMA's board of science, said: "Children should not pay the price for the economic downturn.
It says the government's austerity programme could adversely affect the most vulnerable children, particularly through the cuts to welfare benefits and social care. "While there has been some progress, I still find it shocking that for a society that considers itself to be child-friendly, that we consistently underperform in international ratings."
Already, there are worrying signs. Last year the highest number of children ever recorded were referred to local authority care with the total number now looked after by the state topping 64,000. The BMA said it believed intervention programmes held the key, pointing to research which suggested for every £1 spent on programmes aimed at children and families, £10 was saved in the long-term.
So what can be done about it? The report mentioned parenting classes, improving maternal nutrition and targeting children born in households with unhealthy habits, such as smoking, drug use and alcohol abuse.
The BMA believes intervention programmes hold the key, pointing to research which suggests for every £1 spent on programmes aimed at children and families, £10 is saved in the long-term. Prof Sir Al Aynsley-Green, the former children's tsar for England, who has given his backing to the report, added: "In 2013 we are currently experiencing the most challenging era for children, young people and their health for the last 30 years."
The report mentions parenting classes, improving maternal nutrition and targeting children born in households with unhealthy habits, such as smoking, drug use and alcohol abuse. But a government spokeswoman said: "There's a lot of misleading stories about the effects of our tax and benefit changes.
It will now be up to ministers, the NHS and local government to absorb the findings of the 246-page report. "The truth is, our welfare reforms will improve the lives of some of the poorest families in our communities.
But for Prof Sir Al Aynsley-Green, the former children's tsar for England, who has given his backing to the report, the message is clear. "Every child should have the same opportunity to lead a healthy life, no matter where they live or who they are. Working with a broad range of organisations, we have pledged to do everything possible to improve children's health."
"In 2013 we are currently experiencing the most challenging era for children, young people and their health for the last 30 years."