Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure the distinct health needs of children and young people are considered in the rollout of the neighbourhood health service.

The Government is committed to raising the healthiest generation of children ever and to ensuring that all children can access the right support at the right time. The shift to neighbourhood health, set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, will help deliver this ambition by strengthening and joining up support around the needs of babies, children, and young people.

Neighbourhood health services will work together with Best Start Family Hubs, schools, and colleges, so that children get support quickly.

On 17 March 2026, we published a Neighbourhood Health Framework, designed to provide clarity and consistency to integrated care boards, local authorities, and their partners, in developing and scaling neighbourhood health.

The framework identifies children and young people as a high-priority cohort for improving health outcomes and recognises this as a joint endeavour between the National Health Service, local authorities, and wider partners. The framework is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/neighbourhood-health-framework