Working in silos exacerbates child health inequalities

Its importance lies in the hard evidence it provides about outcomes for children and young people in the real world. It also touches on organisational structures, politics, professional activity and funding - but at its core is the evidence. We need to study the facts if we are to have any chance of judging what is happening and making improvements. That's why one important recommendation relates to improving and standardising data on children's health. If we don't know what is going on, decisions will inevitably be flawed.

The key finding is well known: there is a stark, strong and unambiguous link between deprivation and poor outcomes. Children from the most affluent families have outcomes that match the best in the developed world, while the exact opposite is true for children from deprived families. In Wales, the mortality rate for children is fewer than 30 per 100,000 for the most advantaged three quintiles, and nearly 45 per 100,000 for the most deprived two quintiles. This pattern is replicated across nearly every health indicator. This is a UK-wide challenge and the first step must be for the government to acknowledge the evidence and commit to doing something about the inequalities and their impact.