Issue 1: January 2015
Oxford AHSN Children’s Network launches The Oxford AHSN Children’s Network was officially launched last month at an event attended by over 70 professionals from all areas of children’s healthcare in the Oxford AHSN region and beyond. Sir Jonathan Michael, Chief Executive of Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust, which hosts the Oxford AHSN, opened the launch event and outlined the opportunity the Children’s Network has to make significant improvements to children’s outcomes in the Oxford AHSN region. Professor Gary Ford CBE, Chief Executive of the Oxford AHSN, described the wider work and purpose of the Oxford AHSN, highlighting the Best Care, Clinical Innovation Adoption, Wealth Creation and Research & Development programmes. Dr Hilary Cass, President of the Royal College of Paediatric and Child Health, traced the history of children’s health from Victorian times to the present day. Although outcomes have improved vastly – in the 1800s, up to half of all children died before reaching adulthood – challenges still remain, not least in the inequality of outcome by geography and deprivation. Dr Cass emphasised the importance of healthcare research and described future models for children’s care. The Oxford AHSN Children’s Network has a key objective of reducing variation in the treatment and health outcomes for children within the region. Dr Craig McDonald, Clinical Co-director, introduced two initiatives intended to meet this objective. Craig has produced a report on variation in outcomes for children admitted to hospitals in the Oxford AHSN region for a range of common conditions – bronchiolitis, pneumonia, asthma, gastroenteritis and fever/sepsis. Following this report, leads from each hospital are meeting to agree common guidelines for these conditions. Craig’s presentation is here and the full Variation Report can be found here.
Julie Wild and Liz Davis (pictured), Children’s Network Nurses, have been working with the NHS England Thames Valley Area Team to help increase the uptake of the children’s flu vaccination for 2-4 year-olds. Last year, uptake across the Oxford AHSN varied from 0% – >80%. The nurses worked with General Practices, CCGs, Public Health Teams and families to improve uptake in low performing areas. This work is helping the Children’s Network take forward learning and make recommendations for supporting next year’s flu programme which will be extended to include 5-6 year-olds. Julie and Liz’s presentation is here.
The Oxford AHSN Children’s Network aims to introduce innovation into children’s healthcare. Nick Goldup is NHS Partnerships Director of Whizzkidz, a charity which transforms the lives of disabled children through the provision of equipment, support and life skills, particularly bespoke wheelchairs. He spoke about Whizz-kidz’ partnership with the NHS, helping wheelchair services to develop lean processes and intelligent procurement practices. The Children’s Network is working with Whizz-kidz to improve outcomes for young wheelchair users across the Oxford AHSN region. Research is key to improving outcomes both for the children enrolled on research studies and for all other children’s health. Professor Neena Modi, President of the Academic Paediatrics Association, outlined the vital role of robust evidence in children’s medicine and emphasised that continuing research is crucial to the health of the whole population. Challenges are plentiful: less than 5% of public and third sector biomedical UK research funding is directed at children and there is a mismatch between research effort and research need; for diseases where at least 60% of the disease burden is in children, only around 12% of clinical trials involve them. David Eccleston whose son, Alfie, has cystic fibrosis (CF) spoke passionately about the treatment Alfie had received at both Stoke Mandeville and the John Radcliffe Hospital. David is a strong advocate of the benefits of research and pledged to be the “conscience” of the Oxford AHSN Children’s Network, to ensure that a CF research study is opened at Stoke Mandeville. Jenny Daniels introduced a short film about her daughter, Charlotte, who developed septicaemia at the age of five through type B meningococcal disease infection. She discussed the impact this has had on her and her family and the MenB vaccine that will help prevent others going through the same experience. ‘Charlotte’s story’ can be seen here on the University of Oxford Vaccine Knowledge Project website (scroll down to fifth video). Linda Glennie, Head of Research and Medical Information at the Meningitis Research Foundation (MRF), described the organisation’s vision of a world free from meningitis and septicaemia. Meningitis is amongst the illnesses most feared by parents: it strikes without warning, can affect anyone, may kill a healthy child in hours and may cause severe disability. The MRF funds research to prevent the disease, and to improve survival rates and outcomes. It educates, raises awareness through campaigns and supports people affected through in-depth information and befriending. Professor Andrew Pollard, Clinical Co-director of the Oxford AHSN Children’s Network, described the importance of research to support improvement in healthcare with access to research being a right for all patients in the NHS. He discussed some of the advances in immunisation which had arisen from key research studies conducted among children and adults in the Oxford AHSN region. He explained how the translation of this research into the NHS defends the health of our children. Professor Pollard emphasised the importance of putting children and their families at the centre of our endeavours.
The Oxford AHSN Children’s Network works across Bucks, Berks, Oxon and Milton Keynes to promote equity in the delivery of healthcare to children across the region as well as to speed up the adoption of innovative ideas and products that will improve the health outcomes and experience of children and their parents and carers. Please get in touch with us if you want to get involved in the Children’s Network or to be kept informed of its work: [email protected]