Updated statement on Gaza
We have published a new statement calling on the UK government to do more to address the situation for children in Gaza.
The catastrophic condition of families and children in Gaza is intolerable. We hear reports that many children have died due to starvation in recent days and many others are at risk. This is unacceptable. We continue to call on governments to stand up for the humanitarian norms and laws designed to protect innocent children, their families, communities, health and aid workers. But we now ask the UK Government to do more, and with the utmost urgency, to enact and enforce international human rights and humanitarian law to protect children in Gaza.
Annual Impact Review 2024
Please can I encourage you to look at our College impact report for 2024? It is published this week and describes the huge amount of activity which took place last year. And more importantly the results they generated. We have previously had separate output and impact reports, but it seems sensible to wrap them up together.
Impact can be a tricky thing to measure since it may be the result of more than one intervention, and sometimes it can only be felt several years after that change. Notwithstanding these limitations, the numbers and personal stories in our report illustrate what the college is doing for our members, children and young people. Our role in setting standards of care and training can be seen in the roll out of PEWS across the UK and the 1000s of doctors sitting our exams and engaging with our educational resources and events. Our role in advocating for patients can be seen in the RSV vaccine being rolled out. And the Thrive Paediatrics Resource Hub along with the rota gaps survey gave the college an opportunity to support and advocate for our members. The 2024 membership survey informed the 2024-27 strategy, meaning that the college continues to have plenty of activity and impact in 2025 and more is planned for 2026, 2027 and beyond.
As a membership organisation we can only achieve this activity and impact due to the 3000+ members who are actively involved in college activity as volunteers. My heartfelt thanks to each and all of you. If you are not involved, please give it a thought. You’ll be a great asset to our college.
The Princess Royal celebrates 10th birthday of RCPCH &Us
Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal visited RCPCH headquarters in London this week to join the 10th birthday celebrations of our brilliant RCPCH &Us.
The Princess Royal heard directly from children, young people, parents and carers about the work of RCPCH &Us over the last decade, and the value of RCPCH &Us to children and young people in the room. They spoke from stands about the huge range of projects they’ve worked on from Epilepsy and Diabetes to Change NHS. The Princess Royal learnt how &Us acts as a network to help them develop skills for life, empowers them to lead change, and become active partners in shaping the future of healthcare, both for themselves and for generations to come. We’ll share more information including photos in the coming days – look out for more in the members bulletin shortly.
Submissions are now open for workshop proposals for RCPCH Conference 2026
We are on the lookout for dynamic, innovative workshops that bring fresh perspectives, challenge conventional thinking, and align with our conference theme Celebrating RCPCH at 30: Reflecting on the Past, Inspiring the Future. We especially welcome proposals that include the voices of children, young people, and their families. Please submit your proposal by Sunday 14 September.
Don’t forget abstract submissions for the 2026 Birmingham Conference are also open. By submitting an abstract, you will have the opportunity to showcase your project and be published in the Archives of Disease in Childhood journal. The last day to submit your abstract for submissions is Friday 5 September. Please make a note in your calendar, and remember life is usually much easier when you don’t leave things to the last minute.
The RCPCH leadership podcast
Our first podcast episode with Dr Simon Broughton, our Officer for Recruitment, is out now. It explores leadership in paediatrics through real stories, expert insights, and practical tools. Hosted by Dr Jonathan Darling, our Vice President for Education, each episode will inspire and empower you to lead with purpose, wherever you are in your career.
Listen to it on RCPCH Podcasts, also available Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts, or find it on our new Learning the way page on RCPCH Learning.
RCPCH policy in action
A flurry of action to update you on. Firstly, vaccinations. This week brought welcome news for child health as all UK nations announced the rollout of nirsevimab later this year, offering protection against RSV for high-risk infants and babies born before 32 weeks. The College has advocated for this since the introduction of the RSV vaccine, highlighting that vaccines and monoclonal antibodies are vital tools in protecting children’s health. This message is especially urgent amid measles outbreaks across the UK and the tragic death of a child in Liverpool. In a recent interview with the British Medical Journal, I stressed the need to rebuild trust in immunisation and ensure equitable vaccine access for all communities.
Secondly, we were pleased to see coverage in the Independent on the importance of statutory safeguarding and looked after children roles. The article focused on a letter to Health Secretary Wes Streeting MP, urging him to protect these roles in the midst of NHSE reform. We signed this letter alongside other Colleges, healthcare professionals and the NSPCC.
Thirdly, we published our joint report with Child Poverty Action Group, based on your experiences of how poverty is affecting the children you treat. The findings are devastating but familiar: missed appointments due to unaffordable transport, worsening conditions from cold, damp homes, and unsafe housing delaying discharge. Thank you to everyone who contributed. We're using the report to share your experiences directly with policymakers and call for ambitious action in the upcoming Child Poverty Strategy.
Finally, our Vice President for Health Policy, Dr Mike McKean sat down to record a podcast episode with Green Alliance on the ban of disposable e-cigarettes. Green Alliance were key partners with us in calling for this much needed ban. The podcast episode is now live on the Green Alliance website here, or you can listen on Spotify and Apple podcasts. You can listen to Mike’s section at around the 27-minute mark.
This message was emailed to all RCPCH members who are opted in to receive College updates / professional updates. You can update your contact preferences at any time - log in to your RCPCH online account, go to My account | Your contact preferences, then make sure you've ticked College updates / professional updates.