Supervised tooth brushing in primary schools could be introduced under new health plans

Vape ads aimed at kids and junk food adverts before 9pm could also be banned under Labour's new Child Action Health Plan

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has set out plans to introduce supervised tooth brushing for some primary school pupils under a Labour government.

The leader of the opposition said that tooth decay is something that should be 'consigned to the history books' and that his party would introduce a 'targeted' national supervision programme. This would be combined with fully funded breakfast clubs in every primary school.

• All primary school children could be offered free breakfast clubs
• Rishi Sunak launches new plans to crackdown on term-time holidays
• £800 boost for families on Universal Credit
• 15 hours free childcare: your questions answered
• The M&S bag that looks ‘just like’ Molly-Mae’s £10k designer version

'The future our children deserve'

Part of a wider health reform that will also ban vape ads aimed at children and cut hospital waiting times for kids, the Labour leader launched the Child Health Action Plan today (11 January 2024).

Calling it the 'future our children deserve' on X (formerly Twitter), Sir Keir explained that children aged three to five would have supervised tooth brusing at free breakfast clubes:

'Tooth decay, stunted growth and stalling life expectancy should be consigned to the history books, but instead they’re the reality of Tory Britain,' he said.

'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.'

He further explained:

'The biggest cause of hospital admissions for six to ten-year-olds is decaying teeth.

'That is shocking.'

'It's a basic right'

Sir Keir said the Child Health Action Plan would allow for 'a free breakfast club in every primary school so every child is able to start the day with a healthy breakfast and parents are able to get to work'.

Also setting out plans to boost dental services so that all children could access an appointment when needed, he added:

'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.

'Labour will end the scandal of children being held back by poor health and regional inequalities by slashing waits for mental health treatment and hospital appointment, putting prevention first, and fixing NHS dentistry. That’s the future our children and young people deserve, and that’s the future a Labour Government will deliver.'

Claims of a 'nanny state'

Sir Keir hit back at claims he was introducing a 'nanny state', explaining that 'the moment you do anything on child health, people say you’re going to have a nanny state'.

'We want to fight that,' he added.

Others have criticised the plans, with unions adding that it is not 'the role of teachers to be making sure children brush their teeth'.

What other policies is Labour to introduce?

The wider Child Action Health Plan will also tackle hospital waiting times for children, introduce a 9pm watershed for junk food adverts, ban vape adverts aimed at children, make two million more appointments available on the NHS to cut waiting times and introduce more breakfast clubs.

Wes Streeting MP Tweeted:

'To make sure that children start the day with hungry minds not hungry bellies, we'll introduce nutritious breakfast clubs in every primary school in the country.'

Free breakfast clubs

Yesterday we reported that all primary school children could be offered free breakfast clubs under these new Labour plans.

It's hoped that Labour's new measures for schools could help improve school attendance in England.

It comes as Department for Education (DfE) data shows more than one in five children in England are persistently absent from school – double the proportion before the Covid pandemic.

These plans to tackle absenteeism were set out by Shadow education secretary Bridget Phillipson, at an event at the Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) on Tuesday 9 January.

Related stories

Disposable vapes set to be banned in days to stop children getting addicted

CHAT: Education

The quick test to see if you're eligible for benefits