A Liverpool Institute of Child Health and Wellbeing was announced by Wes Streeting, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, during a special visit to Alder Hey Children’s Hospital. A major academic collaboration between the University of Liverpool and Alder Hey, the Institute will transform the lives and life chances of children and young people through research and innovation.

Liverpool is the third most deprived local authority in England, with over three in 10 children living in poverty. Child poverty is known to lead to worse health outcomes and so, tackling the region’s most prevalent resulting health and wellbeing issues, including mental health and obesity, will be at the core of the Institute’s strategy. The impact of these innovations will ultimately improve the lives of children regionally, across the UK and internationally.

Speaking at the event, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Wes Streeting, said: “I’m delighted to be here to open the new Liverpool Institute for Child Health and Wellbeing, which is undertaking cutting-edge research to improve the care of children and young people.

“Unfortunately, we know that across the country, too many children and young people are not receiving the care they deserve, and waits for services are too long. So, I’m grateful that Alder Hey are leading the way and investing in the research we need to turn things around.

“I want to ensure every child has a healthy and happy start to life, and improving children’s services is a vital part of our 10-year Health Plan that will build an NHS that is fit for the future.”

The new Institute will build on the long-standing collaboration between the University and Alder Hey and their respective world-leading reputations for healthcare research and innovation. It will bring together experts from across a range of disciplines, including data, AI and climate science, as well as health and life sciences, in new and innovative ways to tackle a range of complex issues.

With an initial investment of £2.5m from Alder Hey, the University and Alder Hey Children’s Charity, the Liverpool Institute of Child Health and Wellbeing will be recruiting to a number of research positions in the coming months.

Louise Shepherd CBE, Chief Executive of Alder Hey Children’s NHS Foundation Trust said: “I am delighted that we’re able to announce the founding of the Liverpool Institute for Child Health and Wellbeing, which will build on and strengthen our long-standing collaboration with the University of Liverpool.

“The Institute will play a pivotal role in helping us to tackle the most urgent and serious problems facing children and young people. It will accelerate progress in improving the lives and life chances of children and young people, in our region and beyond, today and in the future. This collaboration with the University of Liverpool will strengthen our capability for clinical research and innovation to bring children better care, medicines and treatments, and prevent diseases using the latest technologies. Together we are leading the way in building an NHS ‘fit for the future’.”

Professor Louise Kenny, Executive Pro Vice Chancellor for the Faculty of Health and Life Sciences said, “As a university, we are incredibly passionate about the important role we can play in improving the health and wellbeing of children in the City of Liverpool and beyond. This exciting new chapter in our important partnership with Alder Hey will see us developing the very best science and innovation-led interventions to tackle head on some of the most common – and most intractable – issues facing children and young people in our region today.”

Fiona Ashcroft, CEO of Alder Hey Children’s Charity said: “Children and young people are our future scientists, innovators, artists, medics and entrepreneurs. But we need to ensure they have the opportunities to thrive, by making them a political priority, and ending health inequality. That’s why we’re proud to fund the Institute and work alongside our partners in the Trust and the University of Liverpool. It’s also why we launched a new campaign – ‘Put Children First’ – and called on Government to redesign the health service to create a children’s centred NHS. We look forward to continuing to work together with political leaders and other partners to create a collaborative health and social care system which has a shared focus on the needs of children and young people.”

During his visit to Alder Hey, the Secretary of State also spoke to staff, before meeting health and social care leaders from across the North West.

Pictured, l-r: Fiona Ashcroft (CEO Alder Hey Children’s Charity), SoS Wes Streeting, Louise Kenny (Executive Pro Vice Chancellor) , Louise Shepherd (Alder Hey Chief Executive).