First and foremost, a massive congratulations to RCPCH on its 25th birthday! Thank you very much for giving children and young people, just like me, a platform to share our ideas on how children’s health services should be shaped. RCPCH understood early on that the best people to ask when designing services is those that use them.
I joined in with young people’s advocacy at RCPCH in 2013. In those days, it was called the Youth Advisory Panel, or YAP for short. I enjoyed getting the early morning flights from Belfast City Airport to London, eager to discuss ideas and current issues with other young people from across the UK in the smart RCPCH headquarters on Theobald’s Road in Holborn. I was delighted to be involved in the creation of RCPCH &Us. It is amazing to witness how it has grown to the expansive network that stands today. And, it's great to see so many other children and young people being given a voice on their health and the services safeguarding it.
I was given time, as a young person, during the busy programme to talk about how crucial it is to involve young people in the design of services to tackle the issues of health inequality addressed in the report.
RCPCH &Us gives a unique and powerful voice to young people directed straight to the decision makers. Through the network, I have had the opportunity to speak to and advocate for young people’s health to politicians, policy makers and clinical leaders. I have many great memories and experiences with RCPCH over the years and I am delighted to share a few with you where RCPCH &Us has amplified my voice as a young person.
A memory that stands out is lobbying Members of Parliament in Westminster, including leaders of political parties, to support a levy on sugary drinks. This was subsequently implemented, leading to a 10% reduction in sugar consumed by households each year, contributing to the fight against childhood obesity and promoting good dental health. A true reflection on the impact the voice of young people can have.
More locally, I recall speaking in the Long Gallery at Stormont, the seat of devolved power in Northern Ireland, to senior politicians and paediatricians at the launch of the Why Children Die report. I was given time, as a young person, during the busy programme to talk about how crucial it is to involve young people in the design of services to tackle the issues of health inequality addressed in the report. It was inspiring to see in action the great value RCPCH place on the voice of young people.
I remember playing a role in developing Disability Matters... I was delighted to see this tool used in practice during my medical school training to highlight the many barriers those with disabilities face when accessing health services.
As well as having a direct link to decision makers, I've been privileged to be involved in shaping many projects relating to children and young people’s health. We had many discussions on the development of an Epilepsy Passport, which allows children and young people with epilepsy to communicate with healthcare professions when accessing emergency health services to avoid unnecessary delays in treatment.
I remember playing a role in developing Disability Matters, a free online education resource used to help those who work, volunteer or engage with disabled children and young people. I was delighted to see this tool used in practice during my medical school training to highlight the many barriers those with disabilities face when accessing health services. As part of the RCPCH &Us network, I also have had the opportunity to work with Nuffield Trust where we discussed the potential ethical issues of involving children and young people in research.
Whilst RCPCH and RCPCH &Us have made strides in improving children’s health in the last 25 years, I fear - even more so now than ever - for the health of children and young people in today’s world.
In Northern Ireland, with the implementation of the so-called Irish Sea Border as a result of the Brexit agreement, we need to lobby decision makers to ensure safe and reliable supply chains of essential medicines for local children and young people. As we move towards a post-pandemic world, we need to focus on protecting the mental health of children and young people that, due to school closures and social distancing, have been disconnected from their peers. We need to support those who have lost loved ones to COVID-19. We need to find creative ways of tackling growing elective care waiting lists. Thinking in the longer term, it is essential we find sustainable means of reducing childhood obesity, which I believe is the next great pandemic.
The work is not over yet. I know that only with the voice of children and young people, we will be able to tackle these grave issues effectively and in a meaningful way today, tomorrow and into the future.
Philip McCullough is a medical student at Queen’s University Belfast and Northern Ireland representative for RCPCH&Us. He has been involved with children and young people advocacy from the early days at RCPCH and has saw it expand into the RCPCH &Us network. He recounts memorable experiences of how the RCPCH &Us network enables children and young people to have a say in shaping health care services that affect them.