Updated in autumn 2025, our recommendations on the management of children with viral respiratory tract infections in hospital settings aim to support clinicians in partnership with local infection prevention control teams.
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Membership
Membership renewalsThank you for being a valued member of RCPCH's community of 25,000 child health professionals. You can see our fees for each membership type for the 2026 calendar year, plus how to apply for a concession, access your benefits and use your online account.
Volunteer with usWe have some wonderful roles available, including our VPs for Training & Assessment and Education & Learning, Officers in England, Scotland and Wales, Officers for Training & Quality and Education, plus many others. -
Education and careers
Assessment reviewWe are reviewing the programme of assessment for doctors in postgraduate paediatric training, to ensure that the assessments taken in the workplace and our examinations are fair, fit for purpose and sustainable. -
Resources
Viral respiratory tract infections guidanceWe have updated our national recommendations on the management of children in hospital with viral respiratory tract infections, to use in partnership with your local infection prevention control team.
IHA delivery standardsAn Initial Health Assessment is a statutory appointment for every child or young person entering care in the UK. Guided by eight child-led outcomes, our standards aim to improve their health and wellbeing. -
Key topics
On community child health servicesThese services provide vital support to some of our most vulnerable children and their families, yet waiting times have worsened over the past three years across the UK. We continue to call for a stronger focus on collaborative healthcare. -
News and events
Engagement standardsChildren and young people have the right to be actively involved in decisions about their health services. How can you develop and deliver meaningful opportunities for engagement?
Leading the Way: on our podcastLeadership is not about hierarchy: it’s about connection, contribution and culture. Jonathan speaks with RCPCH President Steve Turner on our latest episode.
Join the St David's Day ConferenceHosted by RCPCH Wales in partnership with trainees from across the nation, this day-long event takes place on 26 February in Cardiff, with a special focus on digital innovation.
Talk to families about the flu vaccine to protect children and young people and to ease winter pressures on the NHS. You can use our factsheet, published November 2025, in your clinical setting.
Service teams from around the UK shared examples of how they tackle winter pressures, detailing the intervention and its costs and impact. These case studies show how data-driven, systemic approaches can help make a difference.
NHS England's guidance, published July 2023, on the national approach to 2023-24 winter planning includes recommended winter roles and responsibilities for each part of the system. It has a dedicated section on children and young people's needs.
NHS England's guidance builds on the commitments in its plan published in January 2023. Key ambitions included to increase bed and ambulance capacity, grow the workforce, speed up discharge from hospitals and expand services in the community.
We have continued to call on national governments to support paediatrics and child health over winter periods - including fully costed, evidence-based strategies on workforce and health inequalities. Our guidance and list of resources were updated in November 2022.
Emergency care - sharing solutions and good practice ideas
In autumn 2022, we hosted a meeting about increased clinical pressures in UK paediatric Emergency Departments, and clinicians shared potential solutions.
In autumn 2020, we outlined good practice ideas, including in the care environment, mental health and safeguarding.