Project background
On 26 February 2021 we were delighted to be joined by around 200 delegates for a virtual celebration of our Paediatrics 2040 project.
Over a period of two years we had collaborated with paediatricians, experts and young people across the UK to develop our vision for the future of paediatrics in the UK, focusing on four areas – data and evidence, impact of innovation, models of care, and working lives. This event was an opportunity to hear from members of the dedicated project team and ask them questions about the work that has been produced.
It’s a truism that we can only see where we truly are and where we are going, if we look up and around us. Paediatrics 2040 is the College looking up and looking around, looking out 20 years to see how best we can train and support paediatricians to care for children and young people over the next two decades.
For those of you that missed it, the recording of the live launch event is now available on the RCPCH YouTube channel and below. This is a fully accessible recording with the option to turn on subtitles/closed captions. You can jump to sections of the event in YouTube on the progress bar, or by clicking on the timestamps in the video's description.
Launch event summary
Session 1 - Our vision for the future of Paediatrics in the UK
This session was chaired by Dr Hannah Jacob, ST7 Paediatrics and outgoing chair of the RCPCH Trainees Committee, and the event opened with a fantastic video created by young people from RCPCH &Us outlining their priorities for the future (also available on the Voice matters section of our microsite).
The speakers were Professor Russell Viner, RCPCH President and co-chair for the Paediatrics 2040 project, and Professor Helen Stokes Lampard, a GP based in Lichfield, Chair of the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges and Chair of the Board of the National Academy for Social Prescribing. Both speakers offered their overall reflections on the report and the future of paediatrics in the UK before taking questions from the audience alongside the RCPCH Children and Young People's Engagement team.
The discussion included thoughts on how we can look to gain political traction for long term pieces of work, the growing use of social prescribing for children, young people and families and practical tips from children and young people for improving paediatric services in the future.
Session 2 - Future burden of need for paediatric services / future impact of innovation and technology in paediatrics
This session was chaired by Dr Simon Clark, the RCPCH Vice President for Policy. It covered two of the four project areas – future burden of need, which was presented by Professor Steve Turner, consultant paediatrician and RCPCH Registrar eect, and future impact of innovation and technology, which was presented by Dr Damian Roland, consultant paediatrician and honorary associate professor.
They were joined for the Q&A by Dr Venkat Reddy, the new RCPCH Officer for Digital Technology, and discussion covered the inclusion of digital training in the paediatric curriculum, the use of integrated personal digital child health records and how future technology might support a reduction in burden of disease.
Session 3 - Shaping future paediatric care models / future working lives of paediatricians
This session was chaired by Dr David Evans MBE, RCPCH Vice President for Training and Assessment. It covered the other two project areas: future models of care, which was presented by Dr Nicola Jay, consultant paediatrician and RCPCH Officer for Workforce, and future working lives, which was presented by Dr Judith van der Voort, consultant paediatric nephrologist and head of school for Wales.
They were joined for the Q&A by Dr Dal Hothi, the new RCPCH Officer for Retention, to discuss the opportunities for new models of care arising from the NHS Long Term Plan, inclusion of third-sector colleagues in the child health workforce and how the priorities for paediatric working lives have been altered by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Session 4 - The College in the future: looking beyond COVID-19
This final session was chaired by Professor Russell Viner and featured a joint presentation from Dr Camilla Kingdon, RCPCH President-Elect, and Jo Revill, RCPCH Chief Executive on the future of paediatrics and the College post-COVD-19.
The event concluded with a Q&A with these speakers talking about the College can build our influence moving forwards and how Paediatrics 2040 is relevant to our international members.
Full project conclusions
The full Paediatrics 2040 project conclusions are available to read on a dedicated website.