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

Clear

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
1 Conclusion 5th Report - First 1000 days: a renewed… Not Addressed

Family Hubs funding remains significantly below Sure Start levels despite broader remit.

We welcome the additional funding that the Government has announced for Family Hubs and its plans to open a Hub in every local authority. This is a positive step in increasing the support available to families during the critical first years of a child’s life. However, the funding available for … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government's response outlines that guidance has been published defining Best Start Family Hubs, their location and branding, and how local plans should be developed, without directly addressing the Committee's concerns about funding levels being below Sure Start or the broader age range of children …
Read full response →
Department of Health and Social Care
4 Conclusion 5th Report - First 1000 days: a renewed… Not Addressed

Perinatal mental health investment remains insufficient and geographically limited to address needs.

Perinatal mental health is as important as physical health, with poor mental health outcomes having potentially significant long-term consequences for both the mother and child. We were struck by how frequently mental health concerns were raised in evidence. Given that the Government’s 54 new investment is available only to the … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government's response details the universal offer of Best Start Family Hubs, including support for socio-emotional and language development, co-location of health professionals, and community outreach. However, it does not address the committee's specific concern about the limited scope of the £54m investment for perinatal …
Read full response →
Department of Health and Social Care
6 Recommendation 5th Report - First 1000 days: a renewed… Not Addressed

Revise early language funding guidance to cover 0-2 year olds with maximum provider flexibility.

We recommend that the Department for Education revise its guidance on early language and home learning environment funding to allow it to be used to provide support that covers the 0–2-year period, to allow providers the maximum flexibility in how they deploy this funding. (Recommendation, Paragraph 39) Read more

Government response AI summary
The government's response discusses health visiting services and local authority performance improvement, including peer reviews and improvement support, which does not address the recommendation to revise Department for Education guidance on early language and home learning environment funding for 0-2 year olds.
Read full response →
Department of Health and Social Care
11 Recommendation 5th Report - First 1000 days: a renewed… Not Addressed

Government's health visit ambitions are inadequate compared to other UK nations' provision.

The Government’s ambitions for the number of health visits are woefully inadequate. Children in England receive fewer mandated health visits than children in any other part of the UK. While the Government’s immediate priority must be supporting and growing the workforce to deliver the current programme of five visits, in … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government's response discusses improving childhood vaccination rates, which does not address the recommendation to increase the number of health visits to a level comparable to other parts of the UK.
Read full response →
Department of Health and Social Care
13 Conclusion 5th Report - First 1000 days: a renewed… Not Addressed

Significant shortages across children's health workforce are impacting care delivery and patient safety.

Throughout this inquiry we heard that the children’s health workforce is being stretched to breaking point. There are significant shortages across multiple disciplines which prevent professionals from delivering the care young children and their families need and that, in some cases, significantly impacts on patient safety (Conclusion, Paragraph 76) Read more

Government response AI summary
The government's response discusses the publication of demographic data within the waiting list minimum data set (WLMDS) and future data granularity, which does not address the committee's conclusion about the children's health workforce being stretched and experiencing significant shortages.
Read full response →
Department of Health and Social Care
15 Recommendation 5th Report - First 1000 days: a renewed… Not Addressed

Set plans to support non-NHS children's health professionals and review multidisciplinary team guidance.

Many professions which play a key role in delivering children’s health care are not entirely or primarily employed by the NHS. We recommend the Government sets out how it plans to support those professions in non- NHS settings, particularly allied health professionals and early years practitioners, in a child’s health … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government's response focuses on a shared outcomes framework and cross-departmental working for early years, but does not address the recommendation to set out a plan for supporting non-NHS health professions or reviewing guidance on multidisciplinary teams.
Read full response →
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