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Showing results for tags 'Children and Young People'.
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Content Article
Forgotten generation: shaping better services for children and young people
Sam posted an article in Paediatrics
A forgotten generation’s life chances are being harmed due to delays accessing care. The NHS is struggling to meet rapidly rising demand and increasingly complex and acute care needs among children and young people, a survey by NHS Providers highlights. There is deep concern among leaders of NHS trusts about the long-term harm caused by delays in services for children and young people (CYP), including a widening health inequalities gap. -
News ArticleThousands of children’s lives are being blighted by shocking delays to NHS care of up to three years, according to a report that warns a “forgotten generation” will suffer long-term harm as a result. The health service is struggling to cope with rapidly rising demand for increasingly complex and acute care needs among children and young people, the research by NHS Providers shows. Health leaders say the crisis in England is so severe that there is now “deep concern” that lifelong, permanent harm is being caused by crippling delays to NHS care. Long waits for basic healthcare are derailing children’s development, educational attainment and mental health, they revealed. One trust reported that waiting times for children’s autism assessments had risen from about 14 months before the Covid-19 pandemic to 38 months today. Children are also being forced to wait too long for essential speech and language therapy, hearing tests, medical treatment and surgery. “Too many young lives are being blighted by delays to accessing vital NHS care,” said Sir Julian Hartley, the chief executive of NHS Providers. “We’re in danger of seeing a forgotten generation of young people.” Read full story Source: The Guardian, 15 July 2024
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Content ArticleSerious failings in support for deaf children have been laid bare in the final report of the Independent Review of Audiology Services in Scotland. Mark Ballard, National Deaf Children's Society, Head of Policy for Scotland, outlines the history of the Review, and suggests that it is time for the Scottish Government to act on the recommendations of the report.
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Content ArticleThis toolkit is designed to support integrated care systems (ICSs) to design, plan, and deliver high-quality treatment and care for children and young adults aged 0-25 years with all types of diabetes.
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News Article
Girl died after missed opportunities, inquest finds
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
There were "missed opportunities" to treat a four-year-old girl who visited A&E and a GP in the 48 hours before her death, an inquest jury has concluded. Makenna-Rose Thackray died on 20 December 2022 after stopping breathing and going into cardiac arrest. She was taken to Wakefield's Pinderfields Hospital by ambulance two days earlier but went home after her family endured a fruitless six-hour wait for treatment. They visited a GP the following day and were sent home without antibiotics. A lawyer for Makenna-Rose's family said the evidence showed the girl's death was "entirely preventable". On 18 December Makenna-Rose had been taken to children's A&E but the inquest heard the two nurses on shift that night dealt with almost 80 children, instead of the 30 to 40 which could have been safely treated. Earlier in proceedings, one of the nurses on shift that night, Helen Parker, described the shift as "one of the worst" and when asked if they were under-staffed, replied: "Absolutely, yes." Read full story Source: BBC News, 11 July 2024 -
News Article
Rise in Covid jab rates may protect children against asthma attacks, study finds
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
Higher Covid vaccination rates could help protect children against asthma attacks, according to research. While previous studies show that vaccination helps prevent Covid 19 illness, the authors believe this is the first study to assess whether Covid inoculation is associated with reductions in children’s asthma symptoms, by preventing viral illness in children with asthma. US researchers examined parent-reported asthma symptom prevalence in more than 150,000 children in the National Survey of Children’s Health between 2018-19 and 2020-21, broken down by US state. The data was then compared with the proportion of people aged five years and older who were vaccinated in 2020-21, as well as age-adjusted Covid mortality rates and any face mask requirements in enclosed spaces. With each increase of 10 percentage points in Covid vaccination coverage in US states, there was a 0.36 percentage point reduction in the rates of child asthma symptoms as reported by their parents, according to the study, published in Jama Network Open. Dr Andy Whittamore, the clinical lead at Asthma + Lung UK, said: “Two million children in the UK live with asthma. Infections such as Covid-19 and flu can cause irritation and inflammation in the airways of people with asthma. This can lead to an increase in mucus and narrowing of the airways, which in turn can cause symptoms such as breathlessness, wheeze, tightness in the chest and coughing and potentially trigger an asthma attack. “So it’s important for children with asthma to get any vaccinations they are eligible for, such as flu, to keep them safe. It’s also vital to make sure your child takes their preventer inhaler daily and always has their reliever inhaler with them.” Read full story Source: The Guardian, 3 July 2024 -
Content ArticleAsthma was considered a risk for Covid-19 infection and hospitalisation early in the pandemic. Social distancing measures in 2020 were associated with lower rates of emergency visits and hospitalisations for asthma among children. Individual-level risk of Covid-19 infection was reduced with vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 for adults and children in 2020 and 2021, and several states sustained other infection prevention efforts (eg, face mask requirements) into 2021. Whether symptomatic asthma among children was associated with population-level Covid-19 illness exposure or mitigation strategies is not understood. The authors of this study hypothesised that symptomatic asthma would be positively associated with population-level Covid-19 overall mortality and would be inversely associated with population-level completion of the COVID-19 primary vaccination series and with state face mask mandates.
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Content ArticleChildren are at higher risk of medication errors due to the complexity of drug prescribing and administration. Intravenous (IV) paracetamol overdose differs from overdose by ingestion as there is no enteral absorptive buffering. This study outlines the first national UK data focusing on paediatric IV paracetamol poisoning. The data show that unintentional IV paracetamol overdose appears to occur more frequently in young children. A significant proportion of errors were calculation errors, which were often 10-fold errors. While these errors have the potential to cause serious harm, thankfully most cases were asymptomatic. Errors with IV paracetamol might be reduced by electronic prescribing support systems, better communication regarding administration and consideration of whether other routes are more appropriate.
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News Article
Low child vaccine uptake sees tipping-point warning
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
The UK is at a "tipping point", with low uptake of routine vaccinations putting children at risk of catching severe diseases, health officials say. Stalling vaccination rates against some diseases, such as whooping cough and measles, means population immunity is no longer high enough to stop outbreaks. Latest figures from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), for January-March, show a small increase in some vaccinations, including a 0.3% rise in pre-school booster jabs given to under-fives. But targets are still being missed. The World Health Organization (WHO) target is for 95% of under-fives to be vaccinated. And for the six-in-one jab - against whooping cough, polio and tetanus - and measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine this was exceeded in Scotland and Wales. But for the UK as a whole only 91.5% of under-twos had received the six-in-one jab - and among the whole under-five age group, the proportion was just 84.5%. he UK's vaccine committee head, paediatrician Prof Sir Andrew Pollard, is "really worried" by the recent rise in whooping, or "100-day", cough, also known as pertussis, which can be particularly serious for babies and infants. "We've already seen some deaths from the most recent outbreak," He told BBC News. "We're really at a tipping point, where there's a real risk for more children getting seriously ill or [dying] from diseases we can prevent." Read full story Source: BBC News, 25 June 2024 -
News Article
Trusts plead for national help with surge in long waiters
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
The number of children waiting more than a year for community services has risen by a third in two months – mostly driven by referrals for neurological disorders – causing trusts to plead for national intervention. NHS England figures show the number of children’s community waits of more than 52 weeks grew from 27,429 in February to 35,922 in April (31 per cent). Data collection changed in February, which resulted in an increase in that month, but, even discounting this, the total appears to have roughly doubled in the year to April. Along with a rise in the overall waiting list for community health services, it has been overwhelmingly driven by a large rise in referrals to children’s “community paediatrics” services, mostly for neurological disorders such as autism and ADHD. Several trusts have declared they are effectively unable to deal with demand locally and called for national intervention and regional coordination to help. Read full story (paywalled) Source: HSJ, 25 June 2024 -
Content ArticleSelf-advocacy is an individual's ability to communicate their own needs and is an important skill for patients. However, medical self-advocacy can be challenging, especially when there is a power imbalance between people in positions of authority and patients, who are often in a more vulnerable position. This power imbalance can be even more difficult to navigate for children and young people. In this personal account, Hannah Eaton describes her experiences as a disabled young person attempting to get support for diagnoses relating to chronic illness and neurodivergence. She aims to highlight the difficulties faced by children and young people accessing healthcare. She also makes some suggestions to improve how much children are able to take part in their own healthcare care and the healthcare system as a whole.
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News Article
More sick kids go private as others face NHS waits
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
The number of children receiving treatment in private hospitals across the UK rose by almost a quarter last year to more than 46,000, according to new data seen by the BBC. In each case, families either paid for treatment or used medical insurance - rather than being referred by the NHS. The record figures from private healthcare providers come as England's NHS trusts tell File on 4 that children have become the “forgotten generation” in the race to reduce health service backlogs. The Department of Health says NHS staff are “working tirelessly” to cut waiting lists. But the Royal College of Surgeons of England told us children were lagging behind adults and spending years waiting for NHS surgery - with potentially life-long consequences for their health and development. The BBC has spoken to a number of families whose children’s conditions have deteriorated during long waits. They include 16-year-old Georgina Smith from Hertfordshire, who is waiting for open-heart surgery to repair a valve on her right side which doesn’t close properly. It can cause her blood to flow the wrong way, making it harder for her heart to work. Georgina is one of 601 children waiting for heart surgery in England - 139 have been waiting more than six months. She suffers chest pains, extreme fatigue and fainting episodes and has been forced to miss a lot of school. Georgina says she feels like her operation will never happen. “It’s like a cloud over my head, it’s always just this waiting and waiting and waiting,” she says. Read full story Source: BBC News, 18 June 2024 -
News ArticleThe owner of a group of privately-run children’s mental health hospitals is facing legal action by dozens of former patients, who claim they suffered inhuman and degrading treatement at the facilities. Hospitals formerly run by The Huntercombe Group face at least 54 individual clinical negligence claims, The Independent can reveal. Patients treated within several of the hospitals, now owned by Active Care Group, came forward to solicitors Hutchoen Law following several exposés by this publication, revealing allegations of “systemic abuse.” Documents submitted to Manchester Civil Court on Thursday before Judge Nigel Bird, who will decide if permission is be granted for claims to be brought, revealed allegations including: Assault and battery, relating to the inappropriate and unnecessary forced feedings and physical restraint. False imprisonment. Breaches of the Human Rights Act including prohibition of inhuman and degrading treatment. Read full story Source: The Independent, 13 June 2024
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Content ArticleFour of the UK’s leading children’s and young people’s cancer charities, Young Lives vs Cancer, Teenage Cancer Trust, Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust, and Children’s Cancer and Leukaemia Group (CCLG), have launched The North Star, an ambitious vision for a better future for children and young people with cancer. In 2022, the charities, together with Dartington Service Design Lab, began an in-depth programme of qualitative and quantitative research, with the aim to transform cancer care for children and young people. This evidence base, which includes the lived experience of over 1,500 young people, parents, carers and siblings, now provides the foundation to develop solutions and inform decisions that achieve greater outcomes for young people and their families affected by cancer. This report focuses on the needs and wellbeing of children and young people with cancer and their families and identifies the gaps in support and areas which need vital transformation.
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Content ArticleHospital-acquired pressure injuries (HAPIs) pose significant challenges in healthcare and cause increased patient suffering, longer hospital stays and higher healthcare costs. Children in hospital face unique risks, but evidence about this remains scarce. This study in the Journal of Advanced Nursing aimed to identify and describe HAPI admission incidence and severity predictors in a large Australian children's hospital. The authors found that HAPI injuries in paediatric patients are unacceptably high. They argue that prevention should be prioritised and the quality of care improved globally. They also call for further research to develop targeted prevention strategies for these vulnerable populations.
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News Article
Childhood, interrupted: 12-year-old Toby’s life with Long Covid
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
In the latest Office for National Statistics survey, published in April, 111,816 children (aged three to 17) in England and Scotland were estimated to be suffering from Long Covid during the four-week period ending 7 March. More than 20,000 of these children have found their ability to undertake day-to-day activities has been “limited a lot”. For Toby, it has meant pain, crushing fatigue and sadness – as well as months off school. Dr Binita Kane is a Manchester-based consultant respiratory physician with a special interest in Long Covid. Her experience comes from being a doctor treating patients with Long Covid and also being the mother of a girl with Long Covid. She says that the 2 million people struggling with Long Covid in England and Scotland have created a massive challenge for the health service. The model for post-Covid services was set up in 2020, and in terms of scale and pace the UK was ahead of the game then. But things have moved on and the NHS hasn’t kept up. “The NHS is a juggernaut,” Kane says. “It cannot change things in a rapid way unless you put the weight of everything behind it, like we did in acute Covid.” Read full story Source: The Guardian, 12 June 2024 -
EventThis one day masterclass, facilitated by Glenys Hurt-Robson, Associate Facilitator, The Athena Programme will support you to develop your role and responsibility as a Designated Safeguarding Officer / Designated Safeguarding Lead / Named Professional for safeguarding in your organisation. It will enable you to understand one or both of the Child and Adult abuse investigation processes under Working Together to Safeguard Children (2018) and / or the Care Act 2014. This course will connect emotionally with your safeguarding core. It will stimulate and support you as you reflect on the key responsibilities of the role and how these relate to your organisational context. Against a backdrop of current safeguarding legislation (Children Act 2004, Care Act 2014) it will help you examine your own role and the roles of others in the multi-agency world of protecting and supporting children and adults at risk. The skills and knowledge gained will raise your awareness of current risks and allow you to proactively develop your safeguarding role. The course will assist in building your resilience in dealing with allegations against staff and in-depth understanding of how to protect and support those involved. The content is based on current NHS Intercollegiate Documents - Roles and Competencies for Safeguarding and pitched at NHS level 4 for named professionals. Key learning objectives: To understand the purpose, importance and role of the Designated Safeguarding Officer / Lead for safeguarding children and adults at risk. Explore the emotional impact from the disclosure of abuse. Explore the roles and responsibilities of other Safeguarding partners. Understand how to respond to those who are the subject of concerns or allegations of abuse and identify ways in which the Designated Safeguarding Officer can support staff and work with partners e.g.HR, LADO, DBS. How to manage and support staff through the process of allegations and/or disclosures/whistleblowing. Understand and explore in-depth your organisations safeguarding policies and procedures. Understand how your own values and beliefs can affect your role and responsibilities as a DSO exploring the emotional dimensions of safeguarding work for you and your workforce. Identify and understand the barriers to reporting and effective information sharing. To explore the difficult decisions to be made and the people they need to be made with. Understand how other Safeguarding Arrangements impact on Safeguarding, i.e. MARAC, MAPPA, Prevent Duty, FGM Duty, contextual safeguarding etc. To act as a source of support, advice and expertise within the organisation and liaising with relevant agencies and reviews e.g. SCR’s and SAR’s. Action planning section for development of Designated Safeguarding Officer teams. Register hub members receive a 20% discount. Email info@pslhub.org for discount code.
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Content ArticleAccording to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, all children have the right to the highest attainable standard of health “without discrimination of any kind”. The UK has committed to upholding this right—but not all children in the UK are equally protected. Racism is a known risk factor for health in children, ranging from preterm birth and low birthweight, to major depression and asthma, and childhood is a vital period that can shape health throughout the life course. The authors of this Lancet article report on a roundtable discussion convened by Race & Health and the Race Equality Foundation in October 2023. The discussion focused on racism in the UK health system, with the aims of identifying key areas of exposure to racism in the UK health system for children, and the main barriers to uprooting racist structures and practices in the health system. The roundtable recommended the following immediate actions: Adopt a human rights-based approach that upholds children's rights to the highest attainable standard of health without discrimination and abolish policies that undermine these rights for minoritised children. Incorporate anti-racist health and research practice into the health system's functioning and commissioning, including by increasing engagement during decision making, and co-creation of processes, policies, and procedures with minoritised communities to foster greater trust. Integrate anti-racist training within health-care curricula to ensure that the next generation of health workers have the information and skills to recognise and combat racism in the health system. Embed professional accountability to uphold anti-racist principles and practice into the health system, including by embedding anti-racism within the annual appraisal process as a professional requirement. Ensure that data and evidence collected and valued by the health system incorporate the voices and inputs of communities, delivering epistemic justice. End structural discrimination in institutions and systems that shape children's interactions with the health system, including social care systems, and separate policing and prison systems from health care. Uphold equality, diversity, and inclusion commitments and funding and allocate funding to dismantle racism and white supremacy in the UK health system. Co-create anti-racist and anti-oppressive services with minoritised communities, providing a viable alternative to oppressive systems and structures.
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News Article
Mentally unwell children put through ‘torture’ on wrong NHS wards, watchdog warns
Patient-Safety-Learning posted a news article in News
Children with mental health illnesses are forced to stay in wards not fit to care for them with patients warning these hospital stays are like a “form of torture”, an NHS safety watchdog has found. Children with mental health conditions were admitted to general hospital wards, not intended for mental health care, nearly 44,000 times in 2021 and 2022, the Health Services Safety Investigation Body has warned. These wards which are “noisy, busy and brightly lit” are not often appropriate for these children who require mental healthcare and are unable to keep them safe, HSSIB said in a report on Thursday. The watchdog is calling for new guidance for hospitals on how to adapt their general paediatric wards for children who have mental health support needs. In a new investigation, the watchdog said it found in some hospitals patients were placed in rooms with “little or no consideration of therapeutic elements” which are “stripped of everything” including window blinds and shower curtains. In one hospital, staff said even the mattresses are removed. Between 2021 and 2022 11.7 per cent, or 39,926 admissions to paediatric wards, for physical health, were for children who had a mental health condition. Read full story Read HSSIB investigation report – Keeping children and young people with mental health needs safe: the design of the paediatric ward (23 May 2024) Source: The Independent, 23 May 2024 -
Content ArticleThis cross-sectional study in JAMA Network Open aimed to explore whether prescribing of psychotropic medications for children and adolescents changes in the two years following the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. The authors retrieved and analysed all 8,839,143 psychotropic medication prescriptions dispensed to individuals aged from 6 to 17 years in France between 2016 and 2022. They found steady increases in prescription trends for all psychotropic medications after the pandemic onset, with prescription rates of all psychotropic medication classes except psychostimulants higher than expected rates.
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Content ArticleThis investigation by the Health Services Safety Investigations Body (HSSIB) considers how patient safety can be improved in relation to children and young people with mental health needs while they stay on an acute paediatric ward—a ward for children and young people in a hospital that typically treats physical health conditions. It focuses on the risk factors associated with the design of these wards in acute hospitals.
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News Article
HPV vaccine stops 90% of cervical cancer cases
Patient-Safety-Learning posted a news article in News
Giving teenagers the HPV vaccine is cutting cases of cervical cancer by 90%, figures for England show. Scientists say it works so well that this type of cancer could be eradicated in the near future. The study shows the vaccine is most effective when offered to Year 8 students - those aged 12 to 13. The vaccine also provides protection against genital warts by preventing human papillomavirus (HPV) infections. The study, funded by Cancer Research UK and led by experts at Queen Mary University of London, shows the HPV vaccine combined with cervical screening can dramatically reduce cervical cancer incidence to the point where almost no-one develops it. More cases were prevented in the most deprived socio-economic groups in society - those often hit hardest by the disease. Prof Peter Sasieni, lead author of the work that is published in the British Medical Journal,, external said: "Our research highlights the power of HPV vaccination to benefit people across all social groups. Historically, cervical cancer has had greater health inequalities than almost any other cancer and there was concern that HPV vaccination may not reach those at greatest risk. This study captures the huge success of the school-based vaccination programme in helping to close these gaps and reach people from even the most deprived communities." Read full story Source: BBC News, 16 May 2024 -
News Article
Whooping cough: Cases up again as five infant deaths reported
Patient-Safety-Learning posted a news article in News
Five babies have died from whooping cough as cases continue to rise in England, health officials have announced. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) reported 1,319 cases in England in March, after just over 900 in February, making the 2024 total nearly 2,800. It fears it could be a bumper year for the bacterial infection. The last peak year, 2016, saw 5,949 cases in England. The infection can be particularly serious for babies and infants. Half of cases seen so far this year have been in the under-15s, with the highest rates in babies under three months of age. The five babies who died this year were all under three months old. Known as pertussis or "100-day cough", the infection is a cyclical disease with peaks seen every three to five years. UKHSA has said a steady decline in uptake of the vaccine in pregnant women and children and the very low numbers seen during the pandemic, as happened with other infections because of restrictions and public behaviour, were both factors. The agency said a peak year was therefore overdue and urged families to come forward to get vaccinated if they had not already. Read full story Source: BBC News, 9 May 2024 -
News Article
Unregulated online clinic gave teen dangerous hormone dose
Patient-Safety-Learning posted a news article in News
A 15-year-old child was prescribed dangerous levels of hormones by an unregulated online clinic without speaking to a doctor, a court ruling has revealed. Now 16, the teenager, known as J, was born female but identifies as a boy and has an autism diagnosis. J got a prescription for testosterone and puberty blockers from Singapore-registered GenderGP in late 2022. He had previously been unable to get the treatment through the NHS. Judge Sir Andrew McFarlane said: "There must be very significant concern about the prospect of a young person such as J accessing cross-hormone treatment from any off-shore, online, unregulated private clinic." The judgement highlights the lack of NHS gender services for children and young people in England and Wales, after the closure of the Tavistock Gender Identity and Development Service (Gids) in April. Gids, rated as "inadequate" by inspectors in 2021, was the only specialist gender clinic for children and young people in the two countries. The judgement says that, as a result: "There is no relevant NHS service available for J." Although the prescription was from a private doctor, J was given injections of testosterone by his local NHS GP every six weeks between January and August 2023. An expert witness in the case, Australia-based consultant paediatric endocrinologist Dr Jacqueline Hewitt, was critical of the lack of physical and psychological checks carried out by GenderGP on J. Dr Hewitt also raised concerns about the size of the doses of testosterone given to J, describing the level of the hormone in his blood during his treatment as "dangerously high". Read full story Source: BBC News, 2 May 2024 -
Content Article
Little Voices is a project run by Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust to amplify the voices of children who were patients at the Trust. Little Voices helped inform and support the Trust's ambition to deliver care in a setting that is child-friendly and equitable for all children. Getting input directly from children of a young age enhanced the Trust's understanding of what accessing care is really like for a child, seen through their eyes and not those of a parent or carer. Specific improvements are being implemented in the areas of hand hygiene, mealtimes that matter, play that is engaging and reducing fear and anxiety.
