British Medical Association report says cuts to benefits and social care likely to hit the most vulnerable the hardest
The government's austerity policy of pruning back welfare benefits and social care could "set the country back even further" in terms of child poverty and child wellbeing, with the very poorest in society hit hardest, a landmark report from the British Medical Association says.
In the 250-page report, Growing Up in The UK, the BMA says that the most recent international work places the country 16th out of 29 nations in terms of child wellbeing, but the doctors say this "may not reflect the current situation … and does not reflect the impact of policies implemented post the 2010 election".
Although Britain has improved from its position at the bottom of the global rankings in 2007, the report says this advance could be "reversed … hitting the most vulnerable hardest, which would exacerbate child poverty and widen social inequalities".
In updating the research the authors say they found shocking details for a "society that considers itself to be child-friendly". The report points out that the Department of Health's own work in 2012 concluded that "more children and young people are dying in the UK than in other countries in northern and western Europe".
It also highlights data published last month showing that the highest number of children ever recorded in the UK were referred to local authority care – mainly for abuse and neglect.
The report calls for a cocktail of measures including parenting classes, improving maternal nutrition and targeting children in need.
The BMA says it was short-sighted of ministers to slash funding from many health intervention projects that were addressing the "causes of social breakdown" rather than paying for the consequences. It points out that £1 spent in prevention programmes aimed at children, results in a ten-fold saving to the taxpayer.
Professor Averil Mansfield, chair of the BMA's board of science, said: "The BMA is particularly concerned that any improvements in tackling child poverty are in danger of being eroded by some government welfare policies. Children should not pay the price for the economic downturn."
The report updates groundbreaking work in 1999 by the BMA that led to the creation of the children's commissioner in 2005. Vivienne Nathanson, director of professional activities at the BMA, said there had been improvements, "however we need to do more as we are failing our most vulnerable children".