Latest news from RCPCH

For the most up-to-date news from all areas of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health

Click on the month to be taken directly to the statements and press releases for that month: 

January  |  February  |  March  |  April  |  May  |  June  |  July

July

New 'Free' Student Membership - 26 July 2010

Medical students interested in a career in paediatrics can now become affiliate members of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH).

The RCPCH is responsible for the training and examination of paediatricians in the UK, as well as undertaking research and generating policy - all with the goal of providing a strong voice for children, young people and the health services they need.

The Medical Student Affiliate membership is free and available to UK medical students. Benefits include -

  • Paediatrics careers advice
  • RCPCH publications including clinical guidance and reports on RCPCH research available online
  • Monthly eBulletin
  • Online access to the RCPCH Newsletter
  • Access to the members section of the RCPCH website

Medical Student Affiliates will also have the opportunity to subscribe to Archives of Disease in Childhood and attend the Annual Conference at a discounted rate.

Information about careers in paediatrics is available on our new Careers and Training section of the RCPCH website. Find out general information on paediatrics, useful contacts and resources as well as what it is really like from medical students and trainees.

Professor Terence Stephenson, President, Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health:"Paediatrics is diverse, stimulating and rewarding. The RCPCH student membership is a great opportunity for medical students to find our more about paediatrics and get some good careers advice. We are looking forward to having this new body of members as part of our College."


RCPCH welcomes Royal College of Surgeons England (RCSEng) guidance for provision of general paediatric surgery - 15 July 2010

Dr Carol Ewing, Royal College of Paediatrics & Child Health Workforce Officer and Lead for Paediatric Surgery, said:

"The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health welcomes this report which we have worked on with the RCS to produce. Surgery for children is an essential component of high quality services and we strongly support the delivery of paediatric surgery through managed clinical networks. A joined up approach is crucial to successful implementation of the report's recommendations and we look forward to how commissioners, service planners and Trust providers intend to do this."

Ends

View the RCS guidance 15.07.10.pdf RCS Guidance

View the RCS Paediatric Surgery 15.07.10.doc RCS Paediatric Surgery Press Release


June

RCPCH response to Health Secretary Andrew Lansley's pledge to children with life-treatening conditions - 26 June 2010

Professor Terence Stephenson, President, Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health:

"This is very good news and an important financial investment in children's health services.  In particular, we welcome the contribution it will make towards enabling children and young people to receive palliative and hospice care at home, putting the patient and their family first."

Ends

Visit the Department of Health website


RCPCH supports Breastfeeding Awareness Week 21-27 June 2010

Professor Terence Stephenson, President, Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health: 

"We strongly encourage mothers to breastfeed as there are clear, proven health benefits for babies. Breastfeeding provides babies with optimal nutrition, helps protect them from infection in the first six months of life and has been shown to reduce the likelihood of becoming obese in later childhood.

"Nothing comes close to breast milk for the advantages it offers, and we hope that mothers will have the support to make it their first choice for infant feeding."

Ends


RCPCH supports the British Lung Foundation's call to 'Stub out smoking in cars' - 16 June 2010

Professor Terence Stephenson, President of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH):
"The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health has recently led on the call to ban smoking in cars with children travelling in them. We should be making cars totally smoke-free if there are children travelling in them.  Parents are sending out a strong message in this survey and the new government should act on this. Second-hand smoke has been found to be strongly linked to chest infections, asthma and ear problems in children and sudden infant death syndrome, or cot death.  We strongly support the British Lung Foundation's call to ban smoking in cars with children and young people under 18 travelling in them to ensure that we protect the health of children and young people."

Visit the British Lung Foundation Website


RCPCH response to Medical Education for England (MEE) Temple review on the impact of the European Working Time Directive - 10 June 2010

Dr David Shortland, Vice President for Health Services, Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health:

"We have for some time been concerned about the impact of the European Working Time Directive (EWTD) on paediatric services. In January 2009, we highlighted our concerns to the Department of Health in relation to staffing and training. This report confirms what we suspected that implementation of the EWTD is having a significant impact on the training of paediatric staff, resulting in significant stress levels and difficulties filling training posts. It is our view that in order to deliver high quality care, in the context of EWTD, significant service redesign and reconfiguration are required. We trust that the government will recognise this as a matter of urgency."

View the January 2009 statement.pdf RCPCH statement from January 2009

View the Temple review on the MEE website


NHS Evidence accredits Royal College for a high standard of guidance production - 3 June 2010

NHS Evidence has announced that the process used by the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) to produce Science and Research guidelines is formally approved under the NHS Evidence Accreditation Scheme - a programme which supports health and social care staff by enabling them to recognise the most reliable and trusted sources of guidance.

View the NHSE Press Release.pdf NHS Evidence Press Release

Visit the RCPCH Guidelines page

BACK TO TOP


May

RCPCH statement on MMR in response the General Medical Council (GMC) decision to erase Andrew Wakefield from the Medical Register - 25 May 2010

Professor Terence Stephenson, President, Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH):

"Measles, mumps and rubella vaccines have all been shown to be safe and UK families are fortunate to have free access to these which is not true of many parts of the world.  The false suggestion of a link between autism and the MMR vaccine has done untold damage to the UK vaccination programme.   

"We cannot stress too strongly that all children and young people should have the MMR vaccine. Overwhelming scientific evidence shows that it is safe."

Ends

Visit the GMC website


RCPCH response to General Medical Council (GMC) guidance on end of life care - 20 May 2010

Dr David Vickers, Registrar, Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health:

"We welcome this new guidance from the GMC. Making decisions about end of life care that involves children and young people is emotionally, psychologically and intellectually challenging for health professionals, children and families alike. This document provides a framework to assist healthcare professionals, children and their families to reach decisions together. The guidance places a welcome emphasis on the importance of recognising the rights of children and young people to be involved in these difficult decisions and underlines the importance of considering children's views, however young they are. 

"Paediatricians have a duty to safeguard and protect the health and well-being of children and young people by acting in their best interests. Parents and others close to the child also have this duty, so the emphasis on good communication between doctors, patients, families and the wider healthcare team in order to reduce conflict and disagreement is to be commended.

"Unfortunately there are no simple answers when making these sorts of decisions. This guidance provides an ethical and legal framework to help professionals, families and children to work together to make these decisions."

View the GMC guidance in full at the GMC website


RCPCH statement in response to Conservative Liberal Democrat Coalition Negotiations Agreement - Immigration detention of children - 12 May 2010

The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health is pleased to see that the Conservative Liberal Democrat coalition have said in their Negotiations Agreement that they will end the detention of children for immigration purposes.

This is precisely what we argue for in our policy statement 'Significant Harm - the effects of immigration detention on the health of children and families in the UK.'  In this joint statement with the Royal Colleges of GPs, Psychiatrists and the Faculty of Public Health, we state that the administrative immigration detention of children, young people and their families is harmful and unacceptable and call on the Government to see this issue as a matter of priority and stop detaining children without delay.

We look forward to seeing how the coalition government lives up to this promise in practice.

Ends

View the Conservative Liberal Democrat Coalition Agreement on the BBC Website


Joint RCOG/RCPCH statement on the AAP policy statement on FGM - 12 May 2010

The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) and Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) welcome the publication of the American Academy of Paediatrics (AAP) Committee on Bioethics Policy Statement Ritual Genital Cutting of Female Minors and support the main recommendations.

This statement echoes the RCOG's own views on a practice which, in spite of the deep-rooted and complex cultural issues involved, is essentially barbaric, resulting in long-term morbidities and needless distress for women.

Both the RCOG and RCPCH are however, concerned by the suggestion in the AAP paper (Section 'Education of patients and parents', p. 1092) that 'It might be more effective if federal and state laws enabled paediatricians to reach out to families by offering a ritual nick as a possible compromise to avoid greater harm'.

Female genital mutilation is in itself a ritual practice and to suggest that another ritual 'nick' replaces the FGM does not change the simple fact that pre-pubescent girls in some societies are expected to go through a violent and painful procedure which will scar them for the rest of their lives.  For clinicians in any country, the act of engaging in any ritual female genital cutting, no matter how token, will make them complicit in continuing the practice of FGM.   

To suggest that a qualified medical practitioner is involved in this practice as a 'compromise' does not make it less brutal and has the danger of giving legitimacy to FGM.  Two wrongs do not make a right.  The main objective for all civilised societies has to be the complete eradication of an unacceptable practice.  

Ends

Notes

BACK TO TOP


RCPCH Vice President, Professor Neena Modi, to speak at NCEPOD Parenteral Nutrition Report Launch - 7 May 2010

Professor Neena Modi, RCPCH Vice President for Science and Research, will be speaking at the National Confidential Enquiry into Patient Outcime and Death (NCEPOD) launch of their latest study which review patients who were recieving Parenteral Nutrition as an inpatient.

The launch will take place on Thursday 24th June 2010.

View the NCEPOD event flyer

Visit the NCEPOD website


April

RCPCH Annual Conference 2010 - 20 April 2010

The RCPCH Annual Conference (20-22 April) at the University of Warwick will bring together paediatricians and health professionals in children's and young people's health from all over the world.

View press release -  RCPCH Annual Conference 2010 RCPCH Annual Conference 2010 


News - Children Schools and Families Bill - 8 April 2010

The Children Schools and Families Bill, including Part 2 which gives the media enhanced access to family proceedings, received Royal Assent on 8 April 2010.


March

Royal College of Physicians (RCP) launches 'Passive smoking and children' report - 24 March 2010

The Tobacco Advisory Group of the RCP has launched a major new report entitled 'Passive smoking and children'.

Professor Terence Stephenson, President, Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health:
"The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health has recently led on the call to ban smoking in cars with children travelling in them. We should be making cars totally smoke-free if there are children travelling in them. Second-hand smoke has been found to be strongly linked to chest infections in children, asthma, ear problems and sudden infant death syndrome, or cot death. We strongly support the policy recommendations in this new report and repeat the call for new approaches to address this problem so that we protect the health of children and young people."

Download the full report as a PDF 'Passive smoking and children' (829KB)

View the joint College letter to The Times


RCPCH response to the Department of Children, Schools and Families (DCSF)announcements about maternity and early years services - 16 March 2010

Dr David Vickers, Registrar, Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health:

"A child's health starts before they are born and the health of expectant mothers is essential in ensuring healthy babies. We welcome this announcement to integrate maternity and early years services at Sure Start Children's Centres and the support this will provide to parents before and after their baby is born. We must not forget the significant role of fathers and it is important that services are supportive to fathers as well as mothers.

"We need to promote healthy lifestyles through good nutrition and activity from the early years. Healthy children grow into healthy adults and the importance of the early years can not be underestimated."

View the DCSF press notice

BACK TO TOP


RCPCH reponse to Chief Medical Officer's Annual Report, On the State of Public Health - 15 March 2010

Dr David Vickers, Registrar, Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health:

"We strongly welcome this report from the Chief Medical Officer. We recognise that inactivity in adults begins in childhood - an issue on which we have strongly campaigned. We continue to be extremely concerned about child obesity as it damages children's physical and mental health and the harmful effects continue in to adulthood. Physical activity is essential part of leading a healthy lifestyle and we encourage all parents to consider whether their child is getting enough regular exercise. Healthy children grow up to be healthy adults and we are soon to appoint a Healthy Lifestyles Officer at the College to coordinate our work in this area.

"Rare diseases affect many children who do not survive into adulthood and we would call for any National Director of Rare Diseases to support children as well as adults. The diagnosis and treatment of children with rare diseases has improved greatly in recent years but it is important that resources and funding continues to be available for research.

"We also welcome the recognition of the important role of grandparents in children's lives and would support further research in how best to work with grandparents to improve the health of children in the UK."

View the Chief Medical Officer's 2009 Annual Report


Climate change and maternal and child health conference - 12 March 2010

Today the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and Royal College of Midwives hosted a conference about the impact of climate change on maternal and child health.

Together the Colleges call upon medical colleagues and those working in the National Health Service to make the following six pledges:

1. Support and propagate the values and aspirations of the Climate and Health Council's Declaration 'Tackling climate change, improving health'

2. Inform ourselves about the basic science of climate change, the health benefits of taking action, and the urgency of doing so.

3. To measure our own carbon footprint

4. Reduce travel by car and plane thereby improving our individual and/or group carbon footprint.

5. Use less energy ourselves (and reduce costs) by more insulation in the roof, walls and floors; turning off electrical appliances and lights when not in use.

6. Convey the impact of climate change on health and what we need to do to reverse the trends to colleagues, friends and relatives.

To show your support to these pledges please email ipledge@rcog.org.uk by Friday 9 April 2010. Include your name, job title and trust and include 'I pledge' in the email subject.

View the pledges as a PDF.

View Dr Tony Waterston's, RCPCH Advocacy Chair, BBC website article on climate change and health.


RCPCH response to Department of Health's taskforce on Violence against Women and Children report - 11 March 2010

Dr Rosalyn Proops, Child Protection Officer, Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health:

"The Taskforce report on Violence against Women and Children starts with the disturbing reminder that 2 million children in the UK experience sexual violence and abuse, many never tell anyone and for those few who do, there is a significant lack of therapeutic support and treatment services. Failure to provide these services at an early age can result in a lifetime's cost to health, social welfare and, sometimes, criminal justice services.

"Paediatricians have important responsibilities in identifying, assessing and supporting these children and young people and the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health strongly supports the recommendations of the Taskforce. We will work alongside others to ensure that all children who have experienced violence and sexual abuse have access to a timely high quality service with well trained paediatricians."

View the final Department of Heath report

BACK TO TOP


February

RCPCH response to 11 Million follow up report to - The arrest and detention of children subject to immigration control - 17 February 2010

Dr Rosalyn Proops, Officer for Child Protection, Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health:

"We welcome this follow up report by the Children's Commissioner for England in particular the focus on healthcare and safeguarding. We are very concerned about the health and welfare of children in immigration detention. These children are among the most vulnerable in our communities and detention causes unnecessary harm to their physical and mental health. The current situation is unacceptable and we urge the Government to stop the detention of children without delay."

Visit the 11 Million website and view the Children's Commissioner for England's press release and download the report in full.


National Patient Safety Agency (NPSA) launches new gentamicin safety guidance - 15 February 2010

The NPSA has issued new guidance to ensure safer systems are in place for newborn babies needing treatment with gentmicin. The guidance was developed folliwng a collaborative project between the NPSA and the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health(RCPCH).

Professor Neena Modi, Vice President for Science and Research, RCPCH:

"Newborn patient safety is an important issue. This project was supported by a wide range of organisations and parent groups concerned with newborn wellbeing. We are delighted that the successful outcome of this joint initiative by the RCPCH and NPSA is to be implemented by all NHS trusts."

View the press release - click here

Visit the NPSA website


The Audit Commission has published a new report about the health of children under five - Giving Children a Healthy Start - 03 February 2010

Professor Terence Stephenson, President, Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH):

"We are very concerned by the Audit Commission's findings that health outcomes for under-fives have only improved marginally in the last ten years.

"As a society we need to see child health as a priority and improve frontline NHS services for children - the RCPCH has long been in favour of integrated child health services. We also need to look at improving factors that affect child health such as child poverty, the advertising of unhealthy foods and second-hand smoke.

"We also need to ensure we are supporting parents and that there is sustained investment for the health of young children. Healthy children grow into healthy adults and the importance of the early years can not be underestimated."

Professor Terence Stephenson also wrote a comment piece for the Guardian Society about the report - click here


RCPCH reaction to Lancet Retraction of MMR paper - 02 February 2010

Professor Terence Stephenson, President, Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH):

"Measles, mumps and rubella vaccines have all been shown to be safe and UK families are fortunate to have free access to these which is not true of many parts of the world.  The false suggestion of a link between autism and the MMR vaccine has done untold damage to the UK vaccination programme. 

The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health hopes the withdrawal of this publication on scientific grounds helps improve uptake of the MMR vaccine for the UK's children."

To visit the Lancet website - click here


Department of Health launches new tobacco strategy - 01 February 2010

The Department of Health has today launched its new tobacco control strategy that aims to dramatically reduce smoking rates among adults and children.

Professor Terence Stephenson, President, RCPCH:

"We are pleased to see that children are a priority in this new strategy.  We are particularly concerned about the health outcomes and effects when adults smoke in the presence of their children. Second-hand smoke has been found to be strongly linked to chest infections in children, asthma, ear problems and cot death."

The RCPCH is a member of the Smokefree Action Coalition. To view the Smokefree Coalition press release in full - click here

BACK TO TOP


January

New Chief Executive - Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health - 26 January 2010

The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) is delighted to announce that Dr Chris Hanvey will be joining the College as the new Chief Executive.

Chris will be joining the RCPCH in mid February from his role as Deputy Chief Executive at Barnardo's where he has helped lead the organisation through a period of significant change, growth and modernisation. 

He has vast experience in children's services and related organisations which include roles as Assistant Director of Children's Services in Leeds, Director of Policy for NCH now Action for Children and CEO of both the Thomas Coram Foundation and the John Ellerman Foundation.  He has also been an advisor to the Cabinet Office. 

Professor Terence Stephenson, President, RCPCH:

"I am delighted to welcome Chris into the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health.  This is an exciting time for the College and his considerable experience in children's services is going to be a huge asset to us."

Dr Chris Hanvey:

"I have very much enjoyed my life at Barnardo's and was lucky enough to help lead an important transition for the charity, with radical modernisation in our children's services.

"What unites both these great organisations is a passionate commitment to improving the lives of children and young people. The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health will provide a fresh challenge for me - and one to which I'm greatly looking forward."


Election announcement  -  RCPCH Vice President for Training and Assessment - 12 January 2010

The College is very pleased to announce the election of Dr Simon Newell as Vice President for Training and Assessment. Dr Newell will serve with immediate effect.
For information about College assessment and training: www.rcpch.ac.uk/training, www.rcpch.ac.uk/examinations 

BACK TO TOP


For news from 2009 please - click here



powered by

Signing in for the first time?

Registered Users:

  • Downloading files