Nelson Mandela once said children are our greatest treasure. They are our future. The question is, do we treat them like treasure?
That was the opening remark of Naeem Younis, Founder of Strasys at the latest “Thinking Differently” webinar Re-Wiring Healthcare Around Childhood.
Exposing the shocking truth about children’s healthcare services, he continued “80% of lifetime health is shaped before the age of 18, yet children receive less than 10% of healthcare spending, despite making up a quarter of our population . Spending on children’s services has fallen by 25% compared to 2010 and one in three children live in poverty, costing the nation £39 billion every year .”
Naeem made a rallying call “If you’re involved in policy, a leader in healthcare, a commissioner or a regulator, investing in children isn’t just a moral duty. It’s the smartest economic decision we can make. Every pound invested in childhood returns £13 to society.”
Moyosola
Youth Advocate, Barnardo’s NHS Youth Forum
Knowing about young people isn't the same as listening to young people
Joining the webinar we were honoured to welcome Moyosola. As part of the NHS Youth Forum and drawing on her experiences of both inspecting and accessing youth services, she highlighted the “gap” that exists between how services are designed and how young people actually experience them.
While services often look appealing on the surface – with polished websites and youth-friendly branding – in practice, they can feel adult-centred and inaccessible. She shared her personal struggles with accessing healthcare, from unrealistic call times during school hours to confusing online booking systems and digital barriers such as limited phone storage. These obstacles left her feeling unsupported, illustrating how services built for convenience can unintentionally create stress, confusion, and even shame for young people.
Moyosola emphasised that while professionals may know about young people through reports and surveys, this isn’t the same as listening to them. She described how co-designing solutions with NHS England and Barnardo’s made her feel like a partner rather than just a service user, underscoring the importance of continuous engagement rather than one-off consultations.
To truly bridge the gap, she argued, services must adapt to the diverse realities of different communities, address barriers like digital exclusion and health literacy, and actively include the quietest voices in decision-making. As she powerfully concluded, the healthiest systems will come from trusting young people, giving them the power to shape decisions, and building services that genuinely reflect their lives.
Hugh Sheriffe
Director of Change, Children’s Services, Barnardo’s
Ensuring that children and young people shape the services designed for them
Hugh Sherriffe, Director of Change, Children’s Services, Barnardo’s, spoke about the organisation’s mission to change childhoods and change lives so children, young people and families are safe, happy, healthy and hopeful. For 150 years, Barnardo’s has supported those who need it most – last year alone reaching over 356,000 children, parents and carers through 760 services and partnerships across the UK.
He warned that children and young people are now facing a health and well-being crisis, with rising rates of obesity, mental ill health and deepening inequalities in access to services.
While the government’s Fit for the Future 10-year health plan sets out important ambitions, such as improving access to dentistry, vaccinations and community services, he stressed there is still a lack of detail and children risk being sidelined unless their voices and needs are placed at the heart of reform.
He went on to explain that Barnardo’s knows change is possible. Through initiatives such as the Children and Young People’s Health Equity Collaborative , run in partnership with UCL and Integrated Care Systems, the organisation has co-designed a child health equity framework shaped by the lived experiences of more than 300 young people. Their voices highlight what really matters and ensure solutions address the root causes of inequality.
He added that neighbourhood health services have real potential to integrate primary care, education and community support. To achieve the healthiest generation in history, he emphasised that government must commit to clear delivery plans, cross-sector collaboration, long-term investment, and above all, ensuring that children and young people shape the services designed for them.
Professor Stephen Turner
Consultant Paediatrician NHS Grampian, President of Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health
It takes a village to raise a child
Speaking from a healthcare perspective, Professor Stephen Turner, Consultant Paediatrician NHS Grampian, President of Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health emphasised that improving child health requires breaking down silos and working across sectors – health, education, transport, law and community, because, as he put it, “it takes a village to raise a child.” He highlighted the importance of caring for the whole child as an individual rather than trying to fit them into systems not designed around their needs.
Children make up 25% of the population today but will be 100% of tomorrow’s adults; failing to invest in their health and well-being now, he warned, is a disservice to society as a whole.
Steve stressed that while healthcare professionals play a vital role, many of the factors affecting children’s health are shaped by their environment – the air they breathe, the food they eat, the spaces they have to play and learn. Prevention, early detection and strong community-based care are crucial, echoing recommendations that have remained consistent for 50 years.
Examples from work in NHS111, Glasgow and Aberdeen show that involving experienced clinicians early can smooth children’s journeys through the system, improve outcomes and reduce waiting times. But, Steve noted, clinicians alone cannot solve these challenges: true progress requires linked data, collaboration across sectors and placing children’s needs at the centre of service design. By acting together now, he concluded, we can not only improve child health today but also secure the health and well-being of the next generation of leaders, webinar attendees, tax payers and parents.
Dani Jones
Chief Strategy and Partnerships Officer, Alder Hey Children’s NHS Foundation Trust
Building young people's voice into everything that we do
Dani Jones, Chief Strategy and Partnerships Officer, Alder Hey Children’s NHS Foundation Trust was next up. She outlined how children’s voices, data and system design must be at the heart of transforming services. She emphasised that adults in positions of power have a responsibility to listen properly and engage meaningfully with children and young people, embedding their perspectives into every aspect of decision-making.
Practical examples show how powerful this can be. From working with young people with diabetes to secure phone use in schools for essential monitoring, to making hospitals more accessible for children with sensory needs with simple solutions like ear defenders and sunglasses. She also described how young people have helped recruit senior leaders, shaped Vision 2030, and influenced national programmes such as the Children’s Health Equity Collaborative.
She went on to stress the importance of improving children’s data and building the right “architecture” to rewire the NHS around their needs. Too often, children are treated as an afterthought within an adult-focused system. They require system governance that recognises that their lives are shaped far more by schools, communities and families than by hospitals.
Initiatives such as the Beyond Programme in Cheshire and Merseyside show what is possible when governance is built around children’s voices, local authorities, the voluntary sector and NHS partners working together. This whole-system approach has already delivered measurable impact, from addressing obesity and oral health to improving specialised care.
Looking ahead, Dani called for an integrated health system that truly prioritises children, delivering faster access, reduced waits, better experiences and a workforce empowered to put children first. The NHS has the opportunity to become a world leader in child health, combining moral responsibility with economic necessity.
Naeem Younis
Founder and CEO Strasys
An economic imperative, not just a moral one
Naeem concluded the webinar by emphasising the need to reshape care around the needs of children and young people, listening to and engaging with them at every stage. Speakers encouraged leaders to: actively involve young people, ensure diversity, think child-first in all decisions, and track progress to improve outcomes.
Children cannot wait – change must happen now.
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This PR summary encapsulates the views shared by NHS and healthcare experts during the Strasys Thinking Differently webinar.
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Strasys, a leading analytics and innovation agency, launched their “Thinking Differently” webinar series in March 2024 and couldn’t have predicted how popular it was going to be. Covering the pertinent topics being discussed in boardrooms from workforce, inequalities to productivity – a clear demonstration of the appetite for new ideas and thought leadership in this space.
An award winning approach to reimagine healthcare for children and young people
Strasys and Alder Hey collaboration is a gold winner of the HSJ “Best Consultancy Partnership with the NHS”
