Sure Start-style health services to be rolled out more widely

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By Erin Dean

A programme to help families with young children access Sure Start-style health services will be rolled out to all local authorities in England, the health secretary has announced.

The Healthy Babies scheme helps parents access enhanced infant feeding, mental health support and bond with their infants.

Yvette Cooper said the programme, which also provides support from health visitors and midwives, will be expanded to all family hubs – which will number more than 1,000 – in England by 2028.

The scheme seeks to follow the principles of Sure Start, a lauded network of centres offering integrated services for the under-fives and their families, launched in 1998 under a Labour government.

Labour have been rolling out family hubs since they came to power in 2024 – but more than half do not include health services.

Cooper told Labour’s annual conference that this is contrary to the Sure Start principles which integrated health, early years development and all family support for children under five,