As Scotland approaches the 2026 Holyrood elections, there is an urgent need to refocus our national priorities. Children’s Health Scotland stands firmly alongside the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) Scotland in calling for a bold and sustained commitment to improving child health.
As Michelle Wilson, Head of Children’s Services at Children’s Health Scotland, states:
Every child in Scotland has the right to the best possible health and wellbeing, and this must be placed at the centre of national decision making.
RCPCH Scotland’s manifesto, Prescription for Change, sets out a clear and compelling case for why children and young people must no longer be treated as an afterthought in health policy. Instead, their rights, voices and experiences must guide decisions — particularly at a time when pressures on children, families and the systems that support them are growing. This sit alongside our Manifesto Every Child’s Right to Health, which was shaped by the voices of our Health Rights Defenders.
The scale of the challenge facing children and families
Across Scotland, children and young people are facing a complex mix of needs and challenges that are both visible in national data and deeply felt in everyday family life.
Michelle Wilson explains:
The pressures facing children, young people and their families, long waits for treatment, rising mental health concerns, widening inequalities and the deep impact of poverty, require urgent and decisive action.
Prescription for Change rightly highlights how these issues are interconnected. Delays in care, limited access to timely mental health support, and the ongoing impact of poverty all contribute to poorer outcomes for children and young people. Without sustained political commitment and long‑term planning, these pressures risk becoming embedded across generations.
Early, local and rights‑based support makes the difference
Through our direct work with children, young people, families, practitioners and communities across Scotland, Children’s Health Scotland sees every day what works and where systems fall short.
Through our work with families, practitioners and communities across Scotland, we see every day how vital it is that children receive support early, locally and in ways that uphold their rights, respect their experiences and meet their needs.
Quote from Michelle Wilson, Head of Children’s Services at Children’s Health Scotland.
Early intervention, strong community services and a rights‑based approach are not optional extras; they are essential components of an effective child health system. When support is timely and accessible, children are more likely to thrive, and families feel empowered rather than overwhelmed.
Investing in compassionate care and the child health workforce
A central theme of Prescription for Change is the need for sustained investment, not only in services, but in the people who deliver them. The child health workforce across Scotland is under unprecedented strain yet continues to show extraordinary dedication.
As Michelle Wilson highlights:
Strengthening community services, reducing health inequalities and ensuring compassionate, person‑centred care are key to improving outcomes and giving children the best start in life.
Investment in the workforce is an investment in children’s futures. Staff must be supported, resourced and valued if they are to deliver the high‑quality, compassionate care that children and young people deserve.
A critical moment for political leadership
With the 2026 Holyrood elections fast approaching, this is a pivotal moment for Scotland’s political leaders.
Improving outcomes for children and young people must be a national priority, not just in policy, but in practice.
Children’s Health Scotland urges all political parties and candidates to commit to the principles outlined in Prescription for Change and to demonstrate how they will deliver meaningful, measurable improvements in children’s health and wellbeing.
“Scotland’s children deserve timely, equitable and high‑quality care, and the workforce that supports them must be empowered and resourced to deliver it.”
Standing together for Scotland’s children
Children’s Health Scotland warmly welcomes RCPCH Scotland’s Prescription for Change and strongly supports its call for long‑term investment in child health services and the professionals who sustain them.
As Michelle Wilson affirms:
Children’s Health Scotland stands with RCPCH Scotland, ready to work with the next Scottish Parliament to help make this vision a reality.
Children cannot wait. Their health, rights and wellbeing depend on the decisions made now. As Scotland prepares to head to the polls, children’s health must be placed firmly at the heart of national decision‑making.
If you would like to hear from us or are interested in working with Children’s Health Scotland please contact us on enquiries@childrenshealthscotland.org
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