HeadSmart Campaign

 
The 'HeadSmart - be brain tumour aware' campaign (formerly known as Brain Pathways Project), aims to reduce the length of time it takes to diagnose brain tumours in children.
 

The Children's Brain Tumour Research Centre (CBTRC),  University of Nottingham have received funding from the Health Foundation's 'Closing the Gap' award scheme to develop this national project in partnership with The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) and Samantha Dickson Brain Tumour Trust (SDBTT).

News

11 Nov 2011 || New Awareness Survey for Healthcare Professionals

We are currently assessing healthcare professionals’ awareness of the HeadSmart campaign and symptoms of brain tumours in children and young people, following the launch on 8th June. To participate simply complete the online survey at www.surveymonkey.com/s/HeadSmart_Professionals. This only takes a few minutes and will be a great help to the campaign.

For further information, comments and suggestions contact Dr Sophie Wilne at Sophie.Wilne@nuh.nhs.uk or the HeadSmart project manager, Ms Lucie Clough, at lucie.clough@rcpch.ac.uk.  

12 Aug 2011 || Video Coverage of HeadSmart Launch

 
The HeadSmart Campaign launch on the 8th June 2011 received extensive media coverage from major national radio and TV stations, as well as jimmyteens.tv who has kindly videoed the day’s events. The jimmyteens.tv website is an online portal dedicated to educating people about the effects of cancer on the patient and those around them.
 

26 Jul 2011  || Feedback on HeadSmart Launch

“I was delighted to attend the HeadSmart launch, as I am very keen to see an improvement in earlier diagnosis of cancers in children and young people. At the launch I announced that a new working group will be formed chaired by Professor Sir Alan Craft to examine the issue of earlier diagnosis of serious disease in childhood, in particular cancer in children and young people. I wish the HeadSmart campaign every success.” Dr Sheila Shribman, CBE, National Clinical Director for Children, Young People and Maternity Services

“I welcome the HeadSmart campaign. Our report ‘Improving outcomes: a strategy for cancer ’ (published in January 2011) showed our commitment to raising awareness of less common cancers. The HeadSmart initiative fits well with this aim. I look forward to seeing the results of the campaign.” Paul Burstow MP, Minister of State for the Department of Health
 

Overview

Children in the UK wait up to three times longer for diagnosis than children in Canada and the United States. They are often not diagnosed until they are at risk of death or severe neurological damage. This delay can cause long term brain damage and visual impairment, which can be extremely stressful for children and their families.

The 'HeadSmart - be brain tumour aware' campaign (formerly known as Brain Pathways: Promoting Earlier Diagnosis of Brain Tumours in Children) is a two-year project to help professionals and the public become better aware of the symptoms of brain tumours in children and young people. 

The Project 

• Supports demonstrable improvements,
• builds workforce knowledge and skills, and
• creates approaches to transform the quality of healthcare in the UK

The SDBTTpreviously funded CBTRC to develop an evidence based clinical guideline to support healthcare professionals to identify, assess and investigate children with possible symptoms and signs of a brain tumour.

The RCPCH endorsed the 'Diagnosis of Brain Tumours in Children guideline' in June 2008. This guideline helps clinicians to identify children with brain tumours on time. It will also help to reduce the morbidity many children with brain tumours have experienced. The current project aims to raise public and professional awareness of brain tumour symptoms, in-turn reducing symptom interval time.

Further information
 

Lead Clinicians

• Professor David Walker
• Dr Sophie Wilne

Contact
Email: Lucie Clough, Project Manager
Telephone: 0207 092 6156

Downloads

HeadSmart Campaign - Aims and Objectives(PDF, 600KB, 1p)
Find out more about what this project sets out to achieve.

HeadSmart - ProjectTeam(PDF, 0.07Mb,1p) 
Meet the team behind the HeadSmart Campaign. 

Diagnosing Brain Tumours in Children - Quick Reference Guide (PDF, 940KB, 28p)
A quick reference guide that includes key audit criteria and an algorithm.

Diagnosis of Brain Tumours in Children Abstract (PDF, 444KB, 7p)
A guideline to assist healthcare professionals in the assessment of children who may have a brain tumour.(as published in ADC Journal, April 6 2010)

Diagnosis of Brain Tumours in Children Guideline (PDF, 1.29MB, 168p)
The guideline covers the symptoms and signs that may occur in all children aged
0-18 years with brain tumours, the assessment of children, and indications and waiting times for imaging these children.

 "Many of the parents and families that contact us are concerned about late diagnosis and we are very pleased to be working with RCPCH and University of Nottingham to improve outcomes for children with brain tumours in this very important area"
Paul Carbury |Senior User
Chief Executive of Samantha Dickson Brain Tumour Trust

 
"This project is about raising awareness amongst professionals so that they, and the young people and their families will feel more confident that the health services can meet their needs in a timely fashion if they have serious symptoms"
Professor David Walker | Lead Clinician
Children's Brain Tumour Research Centre (The University of Nottingham)

"We want to support clinicians and clinical teams that aim to bridge the gap between current and best practice as this will deliver better care for patients. These awards will help to provide clinicians with the skills and confidence to take on responsibility for quality improvement in clinical care."
Martin Marshall | Director of Clinical Quality
The Health Foundation

"We hope the tools will enhance the partnership between families, children  and health professionals so that together they can spot the signs and symptoms that may be due to an underlying brain tumour, thereby ensuring that the assessment and diagnosis of a child is made in a timely fashion by skilled professionals"
Dr Monica Lakhanpaul | Consultant Paediatrician
Leicester City Children's Community Health Service