A national pledge to reduce child deaths and address "unacceptable variation" in child care quality was announced by the Government today.
The announcement - part of the Government's response to the Children and Young People's Health Outcomes Forum - aims to improve health of young people by calling on organisations, such as the NHS, Royal Colleges and local Government, to sign up to the pledge.
The government has also announced a series of actions to improve children's health including; revolutionising data revolution to enable the NHS and local authorities get better information; aiming to put children at the centre of the health and care system; and a new Children and Young People's Health Outcomes Board will be led by the Chief Medical Officer to bring health leaders together and keep children's health a priority.
The announcement said: "Better data will make it easier for doctors, nurses and local authorities to get all the information they need to help children.
"A new survey that will generate data on local health problems - like drug and alcohol use - as well as information on bullying will be piloted."
It added that colour-coded health maps for doctors and nurses will be used to track health trends for conditions like asthma and diabetes.
Health Minister Dr Dan Poulter said: "For too long, Britain's childhood mortality rates have been among the worst in Europe when compared to similar countries. In particular, there is unacceptable variation across the country in the quality of care for children - for example in the treatment of long-term conditions such as asthma and diabetes.
"I am determined that children and young people should be put at the heart of the new health and social care system. Too often in the past children's health has been an afterthought."
The pledge will commit those that sign up to put children, young people and families at the heart of decision making and improve health services from pregnancy through to adolescence.
It expects, for example, local NHS reviewing health services to monitor interaction with young people, or investigate any lower survival rates for children with certain conditions - like cancer - and take action.
The Children and Young People's Health Outcomes Forum was set up by the Government in January 2012 to identify health issues among young people.
The new pledge - of which the NHS Confederation is a signatory - aims to make drastic improvements to the health of children and young people.
It forms part of a series of actions to improve children's health announced by the Government today in response to recommendations from the Children and Young People's Health Outcomes (CYPHO) Forum.
The announcement follows calls from the NHS Confederation and partners for ministers to lead the joining up of children's services and implement the recommendations from the forum.
Jo Webber, interim director of policy of the NHS Confederation, that has signed the pledge, said: "The Government's response clearly sets out the importance of effective joint working between agencies and professionals, putting the child at the centre of everything we do.
"We are pleased and proud to have signed up to the Pledge to make this a reality, and we will be working with NHS organisations to help deliver its aims.
Webber added that in the current system while finances were tight, the number of organisations responsible for the looking after children's health was increasing posing a risk of fragmented childcare services.
She said: "It is absolutely essential that organisations across health, social care and education maintain their focus on the task at hand and improve the connections between the services they plan and deliver.
"If we don't get this right, we simply won't be doing enough to keep our children and young people as safe and healthy as they deserve to be."
