I can treat asthma, but not the damp and mould that caused it; I can sit with a teenager in crisis, but not rebuild the youth services they’ve lost.
30 September 2025
New radio series explores the systemic issues behind children's health problems
Dr Guddi Singh, PhD candidate at the School of Education, Communication and Society, debuts her BBC Radio 4 series exploring the social determinants of health in England.
In the series, Dr Singh uncovers the social inequalities that are contributing to the reoccurrence of many health issues amongst young people.
As a paediatrician, Dr Singh quickly realised that writing a prescription could only go so far in addressing many of the health problems being brought to her practice.
The series follows Dr Singh as she travels through England speaking to the families and children who have been effected by health issues caused by systemic issues in housing and education. Guddi aims to uncover the issues and bring them to a national stage.
For the first time, I wanted to bring the social determinants of health — housing, poverty, education, safe play — to a national audience, through the voices of the families and young people living them. The series reveals some hard truths: British five-year-olds are now seven centimetres shorter than their Dutch peers; families are queuing at baby banks for a safe place to sleep; schools are feeding pupils who turn up hungry after class. But it also showcases extraordinary community responses, where people are refusing to wait for government and are creating health against the odds.
Dr Singh hopes that this series sparks a national conversation — one that prompts change in both practice and policy, and helps us build a fairer future for every child.
Each episode airs live on Mondays at 11am on BBC Radio 4. Episode one of the series is now available to listen back on the BBC Radio 4 website