We have a real chance to break the cycle - but only if we act early and decisively.

Read the full report here 👉 www.ippr.org/articles/fix...

• Targeted investment in young people approaching the labour market.

• Smart regulation and levies to improve children’s health.
• Use the proceeds to fund even more investment in children’s wellbeing.

We believe early intervention is vital. It can reduce health inequalities and bring major economic returns.

So what do we recommend?

They're also 67 per cent more likely to have a long-term health condition that affects their ability to work.

This isn’t just a health issue. It’s an economic one too - for individuals and for society.

The data shows that early mental and behavioural health struggles don’t just fade with time -but have implications over four decades later.

Children with severe issues at 10 are nearly twice as likely to show signs of depression at 51.

We believe early intervention is vital. It can reduce health inequalities and bring major economic returns.

So what do we recommend?

More than many - most. Over 85% of local authorities have Healthy Life Expectancy (HLE) below the state pension age.

And there's a clear link to deprivation.

Not behind a paywall: www.msn.com/en-us/health...

Access to childcare varies drastically by local authority.

In Walsall, 73% of children live in areas with some of the worst childcare access in England. Yet just next door, areas like Birmingham offer far better provision—a stark illustration of the postcode lottery families face.

Productivity in the NHS is about using resources effectively to deliver the best care. While outcomes vary, the goal is to improve and extend lives. Since the pandemic, productivity hasn’t fully recovered—for example, patients seen per A&E consultant is down nearly 20% since 2019.

Full report here: www.ippr.org/articles/unl...