Young people leaving care in England will receive free prescriptions, and dental and eye services up to their 25th birthday, the government has said.
A pilot to trial paid internships for care leavers in the NHS and a guaranteed interview scheme for NHS roles also forms part of a package of measures announced by the Department of Health and Social Care.
A separate three-year pilot aims to improve access to mental health support for children in care, the DHSC said.
There were about 53,230 care leavers aged 17 to 21 in 2025 and a further 44,430 care leavers aged 22 to 25, although this may be an underestimate, the DHSC said.
The health and social care secretary, Wes Streeting, said: “Those in care face the toughest start in life and as a result suffer from a barrage of health inequalities, hampering their chances of going on to lead a happy, successful and fulfilling life.”
Ministers will also bring in safeguarding measures that will alert GPs if young patients are in care, while a new regulation will allow for information to be rapidly shared across health services.
The government has accepted recommendations from Josh MacAlister, who was the first children’s social care adviser and is a former teacher and founder of the charity Frontline, a graduate social worker training programme.
MacAlister, the minister for children, families and wellbeing, said: “The disadvantage faced by children who’ve grown up in care is a huge social injustice. That’s why we’re taking cross-government action to transform life chances for these children and care leavers.
“This package of health measures will make a tangible difference to reduce health inequalities, keep more children safe and help more families with intensive support.
“It also delivers on recommendations from the independent review of children’s social care that I published in 2022. This government is delivering meaningful change to break down barriers to opportunity, especially for those in care.”
The guaranteed interview scheme is similar to existing NHS policies that guarantee interviews for people with a disability and aims to provide a level playing field for people from a background of being in care, the DHSC said.
The job application system will feature an option for candidates to declare if they are a care leaver. If they meet the minimum criteria in the job description, they will then be invited to an interview alongside other shortlisted candidates.
Research cited by the DHSC said adults who spent time in care as children between 1971 and 2001 were 70% more likely to die prematurely and care leavers were more likely to experience an unnatural death.
The forthcoming children’s wellbeing and schools bill will enshrine in law a requirement for the government and public bodies to take into account the challenges faced by children in care and care leavers and the support they may need when leaving the care system.
Local authorities will be required to publish their arrangements for supporting care leavers in their transition to adulthood, as well as helping them find suitable accommodation and access other support through the Staying Close initiative.
