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Select Committee · Health and Social Care Committee

The First 1000 Days: a renewed focus

Status: Open Opened: 21 Mar 2025 18 recommendations 8 conclusions 1 report

The first 1000 days of life, from conception to age two, are widely recognised as a critical period for child development, shaping long-term health, well-being, and life outcomes.The previous Committee examined this period in its 2019 First 1000 days of life inquiryconsidering national strategy, current spending and barriers to investment and local provision. Since then, … Show more

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Reports

1 report
Title HC No. Published Items Response
5th Report - First 1000 days: a renewed focus HC 802 22 Jan 2026 26 Responded

Recommendations & Conclusions

6 items
10 Recommendation 5th Report - First 1000 days: a renewed… Accepted

Set out actions to hold poorly performing local authorities accountable for health visit delivery.

We are also highly concerned about the variation in performance amongst local authorities in delivering health visits. While it is clear that the system as a whole needs additional resourcing, it is unacceptable that some local authorities managed 100% uptake while others were as low as 4%. We call 55 … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government highlights improved health visitor service delivery metrics showing less variation and states it is already carrying out rapid performance improvement activity with local authorities. It also details ongoing measures, including assurance of grants, mandating external peer reviews every five years with accompanying improvement …
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Department of Health and Social Care
16 Conclusion 5th Report - First 1000 days: a renewed… Accepted

Declining childhood vaccination levels represent an ongoing public health crisis requiring urgent action.

The continuing decline in childhood vaccination levels since 2012 is a national disgrace; children should not be dying of entirely preventable diseases. The continued failure to effectively grapple with this is a significant and ongoing public health crisis and will lead to increased costs for the health service in the … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government acknowledged the vital importance of vaccinations and the need to improve uptake, outlining a comprehensive plan including a national communication campaign, exploring new delivery methods, improving school consent, and providing NHS App access to vaccination records by 2026-27.
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Department of Health and Social Care
18 Recommendation 5th Report - First 1000 days: a renewed… Accepted

Reinstate 95% vaccination coverage target in NHS guidance for all vaccinations.

We recommend that the Government immediately reinstate the 95% vaccination coverage target in NHS planning guidance for all vaccinations, including those given during the first 1000 days to mothers and children. We also call on the Government to commit to hitting this target no later than the end of this … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government states that the 95% vaccination coverage target remains an established NHS target for a variety of childhood vaccinations, as included in the 2025-2026 public health functions agreement and planning guidance. It does not explicitly commit to hitting the target by the end of …
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Department of Health and Social Care
19 Recommendation 5th Report - First 1000 days: a renewed… Accepted

Develop new vaccination plan to improve early years uptake, with named ICB leads.

Despite the measures contained in the Government’s vaccination strategy, vaccination rates are continuing to fall and the strategy is failing to deliver the improved coverage that is so desperately needed. The Government should brand the currently strategy a failure and develop a new plan with a specific focus on improving … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government defends its current NHS vaccination strategy and details ongoing commitments from the 10 Year Health Plan to improve uptake, rather than branding it a failure or developing a new plan. It notes that named executive directors for vaccination are already in place in …
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Department of Health and Social Care
21 Recommendation 5th Report - First 1000 days: a renewed… Accepted

Single Unique Identifier pilots demonstrate potential for simplifying early years data sharing.

The introduction of a Single Unique Identifier has the potential to significantly simplify data sharing across the early years landscape and we hope that currently planned pilots proceed smoothly and at pace. We ask that the Government commit to providing regular update on the progress of the pilots. (Conclusion, Paragraph … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government states that DfE, DHSC, and NHS England are jointly overseeing single unique identifier pilots, with two ongoing and a third planned for 2026, and commits to providing biannual updates on their progress.
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Department of Health and Social Care
25 Recommendation 5th Report - First 1000 days: a renewed… Accepted

Simplify data sharing guidance with Integrated Care Systems to improve provider collaboration.

We recommend that the Department of Health and Social Care work with Integrated Care Systems to simplify data sharing guidance to improve data sharing between providers. (Recommendation, Paragraph 124)

Government response AI summary
The government accepts the recommendation, outlining several initiatives to simplify data sharing, including developing a model data-sharing agreement for safeguarding data, piloting IG surgeries, and making changes to the COPI Regulations to facilitate data sharing for operational purposes.
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Department of Health and Social Care

Oral evidence sessions

4 sessions
Date Witnesses
3 Sep 2025 Ashley Dalton MP · Department of Health and Social Care, Liz Ketch · Department of Health and Social Care, Susie Owen · Department for Education View ↗
2 Jul 2025 Anna Bird · Disabled Children's Partnership, Dr Amit Aggarwal · Medical Affairs and Strategic Partnerships, Dr Claire Fuller · NHS England, Dr Doug Simkiss · Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, Dr Helen Skirrow · Department of Primary Care and Public Health, Imperial College London, Dr Helen Stewart · The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, Dr Sally Payne · Royal College of Occupational Therapists, Jane Harris · Speech and Language UK, Janet Cooper · Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists View ↗
4 Jun 2025 Alison Morton · Institute of Health Visiting, Dr Christine Farquharson · Institute for Fiscal Studies, Rachel Roberts · Hull City Council, Rukshana Kapasi · Barnardos View ↗
7 May 2025 Professor Sir Michael Marmot · University College London (UCL), Rt Hon Dame Andrea Leadsom DBE · Early Years Healthy Development Review View ↗

Who gave evidence

18 witnesses
WitnessOrganisationSessions
Alison Morton · CEO Institute of Health Visiting 1
Anna Bird · Chair Disabled Children's Partnership 1
Ashley Dalton MP · Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Public… Department of Health and Social Care 1
Dr Amit Aggarwal · Executive Director Medical Affairs and Strategic Partnerships 1
Dr Christine Farquharson · Associate Director Institute for Fiscal Studies 1
Dr Claire Fuller · National Medical Director NHS England 1
Dr Doug Simkiss · Chair of the British Association for Community Pa… Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health 1
Dr Helen Skirrow · Clinical Research Fellow Department of Primary Care and Public Health, Imperial College London 1
Dr Helen Stewart · Officer for Health Improvement The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health 1
Dr Sally Payne · Professional Adviser for Children, Young People a… Royal College of Occupational Therapists 1
Jane Harris · CEO Speech and Language UK 1
Janet Cooper · Expert Adviser Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists 1
Liz Ketch · Director for Early Years, Children & Families Department of Health and Social Care 1
Professor Sir Michael Marmot · Director of the Institute of Health Equity and Pr… University College London (UCL) 1
Rachel Roberts · Strategic Lead for Early Help and Prevention, Chi… Hull City Council 1
Rt Hon Dame Andrea Leadsom DBE · Chair Early Years Healthy Development Review 1
Rukshana Kapasi · Director of Health Barnardos 1
Susie Owen · Director of Early Years, Childcare, Families and … Department for Education 1

Correspondence

3 letters
DateDirectionTitle
28 Apr 2026 — Correspondence from Minister Hodgson - First 1000 Days Response
15 Oct 2025 — Correspondence from Minister Dalton re First 1000 days evidence session
2 Jul 2025 — Correspondence from Minister Daby re the First 1000 Days