Interesting links, articles, news and blog posts sent out to members on 15/02/24.
News: Labour considering ban on sale of energy drinks to under-16s – Yahoo News
10 February 2024. The proposal has been submitted for the party’s election manifesto, amid growing evidence of the health risks to young people from the high-caffeine products:
Link: https://uk.news.yahoo.com/labour-considering-ban-sale-energy-193900582.html
News: One in nine child victims blamed by Met for their own abuse, watchdog finds – The Independent Online
9 February 2024, Amy-Clare Martin. The police watchdog also found 12 in every 100 children were in some way blamed for their abuse:
Official Statistics: Hospital tooth extractions in 0 to 19 year olds: 2023 – Office for Health Improvement and Disparities
8 February 2024. Episodes of children and young adults being admitted to hospital for tooth extractions from 2022 to 2023:
Link: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/hospital-tooth-extractions-in-0-to-19-year-olds-2023
News: Two-thirds of children did not see a dentist last year – The Independent Online
8 February 2024, Mary Dejevsky. Two-thirds of children did not see a dentist last year, and pressure on health services is likely to be an electoral problem for Rishi Sunak:
News: “We cannot allow childhood mental illness to become the new norm” – Royal College of Psychiatrists
7 February 2024. Analysis from the Royal College of Psychiatrists reveals a significant rise in the number of children and young people under 18 needing emergency care from mental health services (CAMHS)
Article: Children’s emergency mental health referrals in England soar by 53% – Guardian Online
7 February 2024, Andrew Gregory. NHS data exposing a ‘devastating explosion’ of mental illness should be a ‘wake-up call’ for the government, MPs and health leaders say:
News: Under fives betrayed as health declines – experts – BBC News Online
5 February 2024, Nick Triggle. Worsening health among the under fives in the UK needs to be urgently addressed, experts say. The Academy of Medical Sciences highlights what it says are “major health issues” like infant deaths, obesity and tooth decay:
Link: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-68203749
News: Free school meals ‘cut obesity and help reading skills’ in England, study finds – The Observer in the Guardian Online
4 February 2024, Michael Savage. Labour MPs call to extend provision to every primary pupil in England after study finds health and learning improve:
Opinion: ‘Free’ childcare is a middle class perk that does nothing for equality – CapX
1 February 2024, Jim McConalogue. If these childcare schemes are simply a ‘middle class perk’, and nothing to do with equality, then politicians across the spectrum should clarify that in their messaging:
Link: https://capx.co/free-childcare-is-a-middle-class-perk-that-does-nothing-for-equality/
News: Meta boss Mark Zuckerberg apologises to families in fiery US Senate hearing – BBC News Online
1 February 2024. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has apologised to families who say their children had been harmed by social media, during a fiery hearing in the US Senate:
Link: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-68161632
News: Two-child benefit cap: ‘Every month is a struggle’ – BBC News Online
31 January 2024, Eleanor Lawrie. Almost half a million households are now affected by a cap on some benefits, according to the Resolution Foundation think tank:
Link: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-67999028
News: More school closures predicted for London – BBC News Online
31 January 2024, Adriana Elgueta. Demand for school places in London is set to plummet as birth rates decrease, new data shows:
Link: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-68144986
Article: Extended hours in chaos as councils leave settings in dark on rates – Nursery World
30 January 2024, Katy Morton. Most local authorities have yet to tell providers how much they will receive for funded places, raising doubts over how many settings will be able to offer the entitlements: