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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

3 items
12 Recommendation 5th Report - First 1000 days: a renewed… Rejected

Commit to increasing mandatory health visitor contacts from five to six for children in England.

We recommend that the Government commit to increasing the number of mandatory health visitor contacts for children in England from five to six. To help it deliver this it should look at the approach that the devolved administrations have taken, where families can expect between 6 and 11 contacts with … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government rejects increasing the number of mandatory health visitor contacts, defending the existing five statutory reviews as occurring at crucial developmental points. It states that three additional contacts are recommended where possible, and that further improvements will be considered as part of the 10 …
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Department of Health and Social Care
17 Conclusion 5th Report - First 1000 days: a renewed… Rejected

Government dropping 95% vaccination target from NHS guidance causes concern.

We are disappointed that the Government has dropped the 95% vaccination coverage target from NHS planning guidance and were unconvinced by the Minister’s arguments that it remained an “expectation” despite its removal. While we agree with the Government’s desire for the NHS to have a smaller number of priorities, we … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government rejected the committee's premise by asserting that the 95% vaccination coverage target has not been dropped but remains an established NHS target, as evidenced in the NHS public health functions agreement 2025-26 and is included in planning guidance.
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Department of Health and Social Care
20 Recommendation 5th Report - First 1000 days: a renewed… Rejected

Accelerate health visitor vaccination pilot programme and report findings within six months.

The plan for delivering vaccination by health visitors has real potential to help the Government achieve the 95% coverage vaccine target. We recommend the Government explore ways to accelerate the pilot programme and to report back on its findings within 6 months. (Recommendation, Paragraph 101) 57 Integration between services Read more

Government response AI summary
The government rejected accelerating the pilot programme or reporting findings within 6 months, stating they are conducting a 12-month evaluation of 12 pathfinder sites to gather robust evidence on operating models, cost implications, and support needs before wider rollout.
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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