Until very recently, the King’s Speech was just a splendid, award-winning film from 2011. The more recent King’s Speech, at the opening of Parliament this week, was not short of drama either. And if the promises in the speech are delivered, this could be a real winner for children and young people.
The NHS was initially conceived to improve the public’s health at a time when infant and child morbidity and mortality was high from complications of labour, infections and undernutrition. Things have changed since 1948 when the NHS was launched, and today’s children are affected by conditions which are very different in prevalence to that in their great grandparents, eg dental caries, obesity and poor mental health. The burden of these conditions on children from our poorest communities was highlighted in this week's Panorama (well worth a view on catch up if you have a spare 30 minutes).
The UK Government’s plan, as laid out in the King’s Speech, outlines the upcoming legislation designed to improve the health and wellbeing of our children - by addressing the social determinants of disease. The previous Government’s plans to pass the Tobacco and Vapes Bill into law were halted by the general election. We can stop holding our breath now: the new Government has said it will see most of it through, though we still have a job to do to call for a ban on disposable vapes.
The promise to introduce legislation to restrict advertising of junk food and ban sales of “energy drinks” to under 16s can be expected to reduce child obesity. We wait with interest to learn of the content of the Children’s Wellbeing Bill. Also, the promised review of the immigration system will likely have implications for children seeking refuge in the UK. And the cap on child benefits for up to two children remains.
Of course, not everything is done through legal change, so it was also positive to see the Government’s announcement of an independent review of the NHS led by Lord Ara Darzi, senior crossbench peer and surgeon, and their desire to use the findings of this review to create a new ten-year plan for the NHS. Our College will work to support the Westminster Government in their ambition to raise the healthiest generation of children ever. And, as I said in my statement to the media, to remind them of their promises.
#WDYCD4Y: What Does Your College Do For You
This week I want to shine a spotlight on two fantastic RCPCH resources for members: the Patient Safety Portal and QI Central.
Patient safety is the foundation of high-quality care, and the portal is a one-stop shop of resources from information about the essential building blocks for safety to summaries of key research, reports and alerts. You can see our new page of Patient Safety Snippets! We have put together examples of best practice and suggest vital safety improvement projects.
Then turn to QI Central to find support, guidance and examples of excellence in designing, leading and sustaining your quality and safety improvement work.
We continue to grow the content in the portals, including with case studies across the UK and around the world. If you’d like to support this work, please get in touch by emailing qips@rcpch.ac.uk.
Scotland leads the way with major step forward for children’s rights
This past Wednesday, Scotland became the first country in the UK, and the first devolved nation in the world, to directly incorporate the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) into domestic law. This is a monumental milestone for child rights as Scotland moves from incorporation to implementation and the legal protection of UNCRC rights across health, education and access to other public services.
The question now is: can the rest of the UK? Read our statement, which celebrates Scotland and calls on other nations to follow suit.
The Paeds Round podcast spotlights measles
Cases of measles in children are on the rise again. Our new episode features Dr Liz Whittaker, Senior Clinical Lecturer in paediatric infectious diseases and immunology. Listen to our panel on its diagnosis and treatment – and how we can help stop its spread.
Call for nominations for our major awards
Do you have a colleague who has made an outstanding contribution to child health? We're inviting members - whatever your membership level or location - to be a proposer or seconder on a nomination for Honorary Fellowship, James Spence Medal or Members' Award. We're keen to get a wide range of nominations and from all sectors of the child health workforce. But don't delay - the deadline is Friday, 26 July at 17:00 (British Summer Time).
You'll find links to our online nomination forms and details on our Fellowships and prizes page.
Join our online course on child mental health this September
Finally, a reminder of this course coming up on 11 September. This will be an opportunity to develop your skills and knowledge in effectively managing general mental health problems encountered in day-to-day clinics. This is a one-day, online course. As an RCPCH member, you’ll get special rates on this and all our courses.
Best wishes all round,
Steve
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