Labour vows to introduce supervised tooth-brushing for three to five-year-olds during breakfast clubs

Labour has announced that it plans to introduce a range of policies to help improve the health of children in the UK, including supervised tooth-brushing for three to five-year-olds at school breakfast clubs.

The party had previously made the promise to improve the dental health of children, but Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has now revealed details of the plan, saying that tooth decay should be "consigned to the history books". The "fully funded" breakfast clubs will be rolled out in every school across the country so that "every child is able to start the day with a healthy breakfast and parents are able to get to work".

Sir Keir said: “Tooth decay, stunted growth and stalling life expectancy should be consigned to the history books, but instead they’re the reality of Tory Britain. The biggest casualty of the short-term, sticking-plaster politics of the last 14 years are our nation’s children. My Labour government will turn this around.

“Healthy, happy children is not a nice to have, it’s a basic right, with economic urgency. We want the next generation to be chasing their dreams, not a dentist appointment. They should be aspiring to reach their potential, not reach a doctor."

However teaching unions say that they remain "sceptical" over how the supervised tooth-brushing at breakfast clubs will work in practice. Paul Whiteman, general secretary of school leaders’ union NAHT, said while the policy is a positive move, "further thought and additional funding" is needed to carry it out.

Daniel Kebede, general secretary of the National Education Union, added: “It is not at all clear who will administer these new drives. Schools should be able to deliver these programmes free from the worry of budget constraints and increases to staff workload.”

Labour's plans to improve kids' health also include a 9pm watershed on the advertising of junk food, a ban on vape adverts aimed at children and ensuring more dental appointments for children. There are also plans to focus on cutting waiting times for hospital care for kids and creating better access to mental health facilities for children.

Dr Camilla Kingdon, president of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, said: “At present, the UK has some of the worst child health outcomes in Europe, and child health inequalities continue to widen. It is therefore welcome to see the Labour party’s intention to publish a dedicated Child Health Action Plan, which outlines many of the calls paediatricians have been making repeatedly – including tackling paediatric waiting times, supporting the health prevention agenda and providing support for child mental health.”

Mental health experts have also welcomed the move, with Andy Bell, chief executive of the Centre for Mental Health, saying that "urgent action" is needed to improve the mental health of children. His words were echoed by Dr Lade Smith, president of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, who said: “The number of children struggling with their mental health has increased significantly in recent years, with more young people presenting to services in crisis."