Northern Ireland

Members working in Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland are represented at College Council by the Officer for Ireland - find out useful contacts and activity on your College region's web page

News

Growing up overweight or obese can help to lock in health inequalities

6 April 2020

Growing up overweight or obese is a pervasive and—importantly—preventable disadvantage. It worsens physical and mental health and reduces social and economic success. It can trap people in a cycle of sedentary activity, overeating, and escalating weight. This leads to poor wellbeing and, ultimately,...

News

Vital data on disability and additional learning needs is seriously lacking

25 March 2020

Once again, the State of Child Health report presents a comprehensive picture—and a sobering set of facts. But we must remember that we can only tell the story when we have the right data to do so.

Document

COVID-19 - guidance for planning paediatric staffing and rotas

This guidance aims to support those who are planning paediatric and neonatal staffing, rotas and services, and responds to the waves of the COVID-19 pandemic to date, including the Omicron variant. We are aware that different services and regions will have varying requirements and hence we are leavi...

News

COVID-19 and training - a message from the VP for Training and Assessment

19 March 2020

"Life has changed, quite suddenly. Uncertainty feeds anxiety and I don’t think anybody can deny feeling overwhelmed at times by the COVID-19 pandemic." David reminds trainees that our priority as a College is to protect you, and notes that more detailed guidance is coming soon.

News

We can’t be complacent in stubbing out smoking among young people

18 March 2020

The overall rates of smoking among UK adults and young people have declined in recent decades. Legislation around the consumption, sale and advertisement of cigarettes has become tighter, and wide-reaching public health campaigns have taken effect.

News

We need to address staff shortages across the child health workforce

11 March 2020

Staff shortages are among the most high-profile issues facing the NHS today—a scarcity that is felt within the paediatrics workforce.

News

By raising awareness of young carers, we can give them the support they need

10 March 2020

A few years ago, I got the chance to speak with young carers about their experiences. Together, we created superhero characters to explain some of the many things that they do—and some other things they would like to do. As the RCPCH’s children and young people’s engagement manager, I get to meet wi...

News

We need to take a public health approach to youth violence—it’s not just a criminal matter

9 March 2020

Knife crime gets a lot of attention in the UK press and we should take this worrying trend seriously. But we should also remember that it’s only part of the story. In reality, stab wounds make up a small proportion of the total hospital admissions attributed to violent incidents, and much of the med...

News

We can improve outcomes for children in care by taking practical actions now

8 March 2020

There are many reasons why a child or young person might need to be looked after by the state, including abuse and neglect, family dysfunction, and a family in acute stress—all social disadvantages that arise more often in economically challenging times.

News

We need to invest in better smoking cessation services for pregnant women

7 March 2020

A good start in life is critical for health—and this story begins before birth. The WHO states that monitoring maternal and child health during pregnancy is critical, and that smoking is one of the most important modifiable lifestyle choices during this period.