Yvette Cooper announces revival of Sure Start health services

Health Secretary Yvette Cooper has announced plans to revive the ‘Sure Start’ model by integrating health services into community family hubs across England. The initiative, described by aides as ‘Sure Start 2.0’, aims to expand the Healthy Babies programme to 1,000 hubs by 2028. This expansion is intended to provide parents with enhanced infant feeding support, mental health services, and assistance with infant bonding, alongside access to midwives and health visitors.

In addition to the family hub expansion, Cooper announced a £50 million investment to establish new specialist services for domestic abuse victims. The Health Secretary also committed to developing a “proper” workforce plan for social care to create clearer career development pathways for staff. These reforms are part of a broader strategy to integrate health and social care to support the recovery of the NHS.