Child health inequalities part 2 - interviews with two quality improvement projects

<p>We hear from two teams doing innovative work to better understand the impact of poverty on children and young people’s health, and design NHS services that provide targeted support for families.</p> <p>RCPCH Officer for Health Improvement Dr Helen Stewart interviews the two teams.</p> <p>First, two trainee paediatricians in Belfast, Dr Naomi Kirk and Dr Anne-Marie McLean, tell Helen about their observational study. This looked at the effects of the cost-of-living crisis on the home and social environment and the health of primary school-aged children in Northern Ireland.</p> <ul> <li>"We really wanted to identify which children and families are most vulnerable to poor health due to financial strain in the hope that we could then raise awareness and offer support."</li> </ul> <p>Next is a team in Birmingham that's put child health care services right in the heart of the community – to better access the families who need support most. Dr Fran Dutton, a General Practitioner, and Dr Caroline Wolhuter. Head of Innovation, Impact and Early Help at GreenSquareAccord, a national housing and care provider, explain how they have introduced health promotion at every opportunity, liaising with multidisciplinary health professionals and local community services.</p> <ul> <li>"Think about health promotion in whichever department you're in, be that the community or in the hospital. Think about the experience for the family...Do you offer them a solution?... We need to be helping families access the support that is there for them."</li> </ul> <p>Interested in learning more about child health inequalities? Take a look at the <a href= "https://www.rcpch.ac.uk/key-topics/child-health-inequalities" target="_blank" rel="noopener">College’s toolkit</a>. This includes advice on how to run your own quality improvement project around the topic, as well as speaking with families about poverty and doing advocacy at a local level. You’ll also find more written case studies.</p> <p><a href= "https://www.rcpch.ac.uk/sites/default/files/202