Annual Review 2021
Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health
Paediatric Involvement and Engagement in Research (PIER) Award winners: Dr Emma Lim, Prof Marieke Emonts, Dr Jethro Herberg and Young Person’s Advisory Group North East for the PERFORM project.
Contents Our journey 4
Letter from the President
6
Honorary fellows / James Spence Medal
7
Letter from the CEO
9
A look back at 2021
12
The year in review
Our strategy 14
Improving quality of care
16
Training and assessment
19
Community development
20
Shaping policy and advocacy
Sustainability and the College 23
Letter from the Treasurer
24
Letter from the Chair of Trustees
25
Sustainability and beyond
26
Equality, diversity and inclusion
Our journey
Letter from the President What a year 2021 has been! It’s easy to look back and think just of the COVID-19 pandemic because this has dominated so much of our lives. However, the joy of reviewing a year is the opportunity to be reminded of all the other things we did and the achievements. Having said that, ensuring that children and young people have had a voice has certainly been a priority this year. Motivated by the incredible work our RCPCH &Us group did through the activities of the COVID-19 Book Club, amongst other things, we have been able to give voice to the challenges of the lockdowns for children with online learning and the loss of the ability to mix with friends, play sport and do other extra mural activities. Even more concerning, has been the impact on the mental health of young people and this has been a focus for much work and collaboration with mental health experts. The COVID vaccination for children was an important opportunity for the College to develop our position and shine a light on the wider impact of the pandemic. Paediatricians up and down the country, at every age and stage of career, have had to learn to adapt to new ways of working. Despite the immense challenges, I am in awe of how many have continued to work with us and even volunteer to do more! The combined efforts of over 2000 volunteers have allowed the RCPCH to reach new heights this year and we should collectively take pride in that. I pay tribute to the dedication of all our volunteers and staff, and I thank you for your incredible contributions and support in the first year of my presidency.
Dr Camilla Kingdon President, RCPCH
4
Our journey
Epilepsy 12 Youth Advocates presents: 2018-2019 Epilepsy12 National combined summary audit report
Paediatrician of the future: Delivering really good training
RCPCH Audits
Equality, diversity and inclusion
A guide to the Epilepsy12 Audit
A guide to the RCPCH principles for postgraduate paediatric training and how to apply them within local training programmes
Version 1.0 October 2020
ple en and young peo Written by childr young people for children and
RCPCH ©RCPCH 2021 Registered charity in England and Wales (1057744) and in Scotland (SCO38299)
Our Health Matters Creating a health youth social action project
RCPCH &Us The voice of children, young people and families
NPDA
Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health
Leading the way in Children’s Health
RCPCH Audits
National Paediatric Diabetes Audit
Annual report 2019-20
Care processes and outcomes
Perplexing Presentations (PP) / Fabricated or Induced Illness (FII) in Children RCPCH guidance
Step-by-step facilitation guide
‘Fabricated or Induced Illness by Carers: A practical guide for paediatricians’ – last published in 2009. Updated February 2021
RCPCH
www.rcpch.ac.uk/health-social-action
Strategy 2021–24
Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health
Equality, diversity and inclusion One Year On: An update on our progress to open up volunteer roles at RCPCH
RCPCH Annual
Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health
Leading the way in Children’s Health Review
2020
July 2021
Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health
©RCPCH 2021 Registered charity in England and Wales (1057744) and in Scotland (SCO38299)
A selection of 2021 publications
5
Our journey
James Spence Medal
2021 Honorary Fellows Lord Victor Adebowale Chair of NHS Confederation
Professor Henry Halliday, Belfast Northern Ireland The James Spence Medal is the highest honour awarded by the College to physicians working in the UK or in any country of the British Commonwealth within the field of clinical or social paediatrics, public health, clinical science, epidemiology or family practice. In 2021, we presented this award to Professor Henry Halliday, a neonatologist from Belfast, for his outstanding contribution to the care of newborn babies around the world. Since the early 1970’s Professor Halliday has been advocating for evidence-based medicine, leading and participating in many Cochrane collaborations, setting the standard of care for newborns.
Professor Zulfiqar Bhutta Chair of Global Child Health at Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto and Director of the Centre of Excellence in Women and Child Health, Aga Khan University Dr Fiona Campbell Consultant Paediatric Diabetologist / Associate Medical Director of Children’s Services, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust Dr Helen Goodyear Consultant Paediatrician, Birmingham Heartlands Hospital Professor Henry Halliday Retired Professor of Neonatology Dr Jenny Harries Deputy Chief Medical Officer for England Professor Aye Aye Khaing Professor of Paediatric Oncology, Yangon Children's Hospital Professor Kyaw Linn Professor of Paediatric Neurology, Yangon Children's Hospital Dr Robert Scott-Jupp Retired Consultant Paediatrician, Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust Dr David Vickers Medical Director & Consultant Paediatrician, Cambridgeshire Community Services NHS Trust
6
Our journey
Letter from the CEO As we look back on this turbulent year, it is clear that children and young people bore much of the brunt of the pandemic’s impact. Successive lockdowns, lack of access to many services, growing health inequalities and school challenges meant that the College played a sharply vital role in giving young people a voice. I’m proud of how we fast we adapted to the need for better digital resources, whether in the form of examinations, training, service guidance or even some inspiring membership ceremonies from around the world. I saw how our President, Officers, Trustees and staff came together to address problems quickly when they arose, helped by many experts in paediatrics, and this agility has been fundamental to helping overcome problems.
This next year will test us just as much as the past one, but our growing numbers – both in the UK and internationally – make us a formidable force. The College’s mission is more important than ever. Thank you for your interest in the College, and we’d love to hear from you about your ideas for what we should be doing.
Jo Revill CEO, RCPCH
7
Our journey
RCPCH &Us Children and young people (CYP) are at the heart of what we do every day. Their input helps guide our work across the College and with our members. Thank you to our amazing volunteers for stepping up during a very tough period. We recognised our 2021 Voice of Champion, Dr Mike Linney, for his outstanding contribution as an advocate for children and young people. Our CYP volunteers have advised on supporting advances in epilepsy, diabetes and asthma care and had input on developing training programmes. In partnership with the Royal College of Physicians, the College led CYP engagement with the National Asthma and COPD Audit. We were awarded the Richard Driscoll Memorial Award for patient and public involvement.
RCPCH &Us The voice of children, young people and families
8
Our journey
A look back at 2021 The disruption caused by COVID-19 has not worn off and the pressures facing our members have never been greater. The pandemic has caused our society to adapt and make changes to how they live, work and relate to one another. Lockdown demonstrated the pressures on mental health and wellbeing, nutrition and the pressing need for action on climate change. These are key areas the College has focused on for many years. We introduced our College Strategy 202124 setting out four key aims that will further drive our initiatives to recruit and retain paediatricians and improve health outcomes for children and young people across the four nations and worldwide. These four areas set out a clear path for us to make a greater impact and build on the successes of the past.
Strategy Aims: 1. Harness knowledge, data and intelligence to improve the quality of care for children and young people. 2. Equip members with the skills and knowledge they need through training and assessment. 3. Speak with confidence and authority on the health issues that matter to children and young people and on policies that speak to our values and mission. 4. Develop our communities, supporting members throughout their careers and attracting new recruits, ensuring that the college is financially sustainable and well resourced.
“We all understand the importance of improving health outcomes for the youngest members of society, especially given the challenges of the last 18 months. Our members stand at the front of this work, supporting children, young people and families when they need it most.”
Dr Camilla Kingdon, President
9
Our journey
Paediatrics
2040
Forecasting the future
The magazine of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health
Our vision for the future of paediatrics in the UK Executive summary
Innovation
Models of care
Working lives
RCPCH
2021 was a year of courage, change and celebration at the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health. Dr Camilla Kingdon hit the ground running when she became our President in May, responding to new General Medical Council (GMC) targets regarding Equality, Diversity and Inclusion. She also issued a statement of solidarity with India at the height of their fight against COVID-19. We continued to monitor the impact of COVID-19 on vulnerable children with a focus on issues threatening their welfare.
10
Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health
Leading the way in Children’s Health
IN S IDE
Published February 2021
SUMMER 2021
Data
RCPCH TURNS 25 New RCPCH President
Dr Camilla Kingdon Page 4
The PAFTAs 2021 Celebrating this year’s winners and more Page 12
We published new guidance for safeguarding partnerships during the pandemic and engaged in national discussions regarding the rise in mental health needs and eating disorders. A year on from publishing State of Child Health, we gathered new data and gained insight on the experiences of children and young people. We had fresh perspectives on the effects of COVID-19 from Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. When the Universal Tax Credit Uplift was being threatened, we immediately called for an extension.
Good vibes
The many benefits of a positive mindset at work Page 20
Close to home
Top location tips for this year’s holidays Page 28
We furthered our call to extend with a piece written by our President in the BMJ advising that cuts to Universal Credit would leave children hungry.
We collaborated with other Royal Medical Colleges and healthcare organisations to plan for the 2021 UN Climate Change Conference. This began with our climate emergency declaration and continued with the coordination of our Climate Change Working Group that includes College staff and member volunteers. In November, we also hosted our first virtual climate change event focusing on child health at home and abroad.
Our journey
Reducing our footprint
Supporting the science
We offered our members the option to access an online only version of the Archives of Disease in Childhood as the first of many steps towards becoming a Net Zero organisation by 2040. This change also reduces subscription rates for existing members and gives access to more members outside of the UK.
The College engaged with government at Westminster participating in discussions to put children and young people at the heart of policymaking. Dr Camilla Kingdon appeared as a witness at the Education and Skills Select Committee discussing issues like COVID-19 vaccinations and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).
Connecting virtually We moved our key conferences online to accommodate members in the UK and worldwide. Our Singapore International Conference had 750 attendees and our Annual Conference registered more than 1,700 attendees with more than 1,100 abstracts submitted.
Outcomes gained from scientific research saves thousands of lives every year. We sat down with Professor Sir Chris Whitty, Chief Medical Officer for England, to advocate for more research in child health.
Advocacy in the nations We worked with our members to produce manifestos setting out priorities in child health ahead of elections in Wales and Scotland. RCPCH &Us lobbied for better health outcomes through their campaign—Our Health Matters. A suite of resources was developed to encourage young people in Scotland and Wales to advocate for their own health. Videos, powerpoint decks, information posters and an iParl campaign were made available to help raise awareness of child health priorities in their countries.
Resources were made available to teachers and workers in English and Welsh.
11
Our journey
The year 2021 in review January
February
March
RCPCH responds to reports of increased admissions of children and young people with COVID-19.
RCPCH responds to cases of Paediatric Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome (PIMS).
RCPCH responds to Early Years Health Development Review in England.
RCPCH advocates to extend £20 a week uplift to Universal Credit.
RCPCH publishes child health manifestos for Elections in Wales and Scotland.
RCPCH launches Paediatrics 2040.
RCPCH responds to UK cut in overseas aid.
Tackling poverty and child health inequalities
Committed to advocating on global child health
April
May
June
RCPCH joins call for the General Medical Council to be stripped of power in appeal of fitness to practice decisions.
RCPCH develops a new Data Portal with active testing using the NDQP annual selfassessment process.
25th Anniversary of RCPCH.
RCPCH publishes a statement of support for Myanmar. RCPCH responds to UK Commission of Race and Ethnic Disparities report.
Standing up for equality 12
Dr Camilla Kingdon and Russell Viner’s joint letter to the Times on the impact of COVID-19 on mental health of young people.
Successful virtual annual conference delivered with overwhelming attendance. General Medical Council approves revisions for level 3 training.
RCPCH updates statement on breastfeeding in the UK.
Supporting infant health
Quality training for the best doctors
Our journey
July
August
September
RCPCH President, Dr. Camilla Kingdon, responds to Westminster parliamentary vote on overseas development assistance.
RCPCH responds to Joint Committee on Vaccinations and Immunisations update on 16–17-year-old COVID-19 vaccination.
Health Education England Framework 15—we responded to the call for evidence for a long-term strategic framework on health and social care workforce planning.
RCPCH responds to UK Government announcement regarding junk food advertising.
RCPCH introduces Progress+, our GMC approved changes to the Paediatric curriculum, launching in summer 2023.
College launches 2021-24 strategy helping us prioritise our work for the next three years.
College issues statement on the situation in Afghanistan and need to ensure access to aid.
Addressing childhood obesity
Proritising and planning for the future
October
November
December
Keeping children in school and COVID-19 vaccine podcast released.
RCPCH submits Winter Alert Phase Letter to the Editor article to ADC (Phase II: Impact of COVID-19 on Child Health Services).
National Neonatal Audit Programme (NNAP) delivers a joint webinar with British Association of Perinatal Medicine (BAPM) to preview NNAP 2020 data results.
RCPCH hosts its second Physicians Associate online event.
RCPCH publishes the National Paediatric Diabetes Audit (NPDA) Type 2 Diabetes Spotlight Audit Report. RCPCH participates in COP26 and attends WHO health programme sessions.
Addressing the challenges of climate change
British Society of Paediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition (BSPGHAN) and RCPCH jointly publish National Audit of Quality Standards for Paediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition.
Research for continuous quality improvement 13
Our strategy
Improving quality of care “We are making our technology more robust, and the intelligence gathered more accessible to help our members do the best job” Our world is changing literally by the second and our ability to manage and work through these changes is often in the palm of our hands. Technology has made connecting to our communities simpler and often more efficient. We know there is no perfect substitution for face-to-face training or patient services. This is why we began making the investment to transform our digital offerings to meet the immediate needs of our members. Our goal is to provide training that is flexible and fit-for-purpose and extends to on-going learning and research through the sharing of data.
Tackling diabetes with the new Diabetes QI microsite that is part of the National Diabetes QI Collaborative. The 14th and last cohort of clinical teams will begin a nine-month quality improvement training programme. More than 100 paediatric diabetes teams have been trained in the last four years.
Progress+ and Shape of Training Our new GMC approved two-level, run through specialty training programme will be flexible, fulfilling and fit for purpose. It is set to launch in summer 2023. It will transform paediatric training by decreasing the number of indicative years to seven and allowing for greater depth of knowledge.
One year on, our QI Central sharing hub is accessed by nearly 10,000 users. Our website uses the collective knowledge of our members plus the power of technology to enable collaboration across England and Wales.
Responding to the disruption in training In September, we published updates to our advice to Educational Supervisors and ARCP panels regarding trainee assessments. In response, the GMC approved an extension to derogations.
Medicines for Children website relaunched. Our site offers practical and reliable information to parents and carers about giving medicines to their children with free access to information leaflets on over 200 medicines, videos and news.
New Education and Learning Board Led by our Officer for Education, the Education and Learning Board provides a platform for our members to have a say in course design and development of future content.
14
Our strategy
The foundation of the College is the recruitment, training and on-going support of paediatricians.
Dr Tom Waterfield Donald Paterson Award recipient
The current global health crisis forced us to quickly adapt the delivery of our exams and assessments here in the UK and abroad. We used this time to reflect on how we could better serve our members and prospective trainees now and in the future. Thank you to our members who were patient with us during the exam period as we shifted to online examinations.
The College is delivering on its promise to look to the future and provide better and more flexible training programmes. This year we introduced Progress+, our updated curriculum for paediatric training. Our new GMC approved two-level, run through specialty training programme will be accessible across the four nations offering increased opportunities for out-of-programme training. Changes are already occurring across the country as trusts, deaneries and teams are preparing for the launch in summer 2023.
15
Our strategy
Training and assessment
3,099
education delegates across 32 courses and 5 webinars
8,232
examinees sat across our global theory and clinical exams
>200
volunteers and staff help make our member training possible
We live our values and work towards our mission of improving health outcomes for children and young people everyday.
16
Our strategy
Our vision for the future We are entering another historic year where we will see an increase in patient demand and pressures placed on our workforce. The value we put on community and the care we have for each other has never been more important. Over a period of two years we collaborated with paediatricians, experts and young people across the country to consider future needs in paediatrics. In 2021 we launched Paediatrics 2040 focused on four key areas: data and evidence, impact of innovation, models of care, and working lives. This came at a critical moment as we thought about life beyond COVID-19 and what paediatrics will look like over the next 20 years. Deciding on a life-long career is not easy and can be daunting. We want prospective paediatricians and those who are still undecided to have the resources to help them make this choice. Our #ChoosePaediatrics campaign does just that.
We have a dedicated resource section for medical students and foundation doctors to access blogs, videos and top tips about a career in paediatrics. There are also personal anecdotes from members sharing their experiences and why they still #ChoosePaediatrics. Our members may have superhero-like qualities, but they are regular people too. More than 180 attendees tuned into our ‘Selfcare’ within emergency departments session with Dr Peter Donnelly. We extended that line of ‘self-care’ to our website with a key topics section dedicated to the health and wellbeing of our members.
Curated podcasts to hear from leaders in our profession We produced a series of podcasts to better engage with our members. Each episode offers thought-leadership on topics across paediatrics and child health.
17
Our strategy
Making global local International members were equally feeling workforce pressures and stress from government conflict. Not only did we ensure delegates from around the world had access to exams and assessments, but we also made sure they still had time to connect and share best practices. We partnered with the Singapore Paediatric Society for our 2021 international conference. Paediatricians from around the world at different stages of their career attending virtually making it one of our best attended events of 2021.
The College initiated a new programme to support action on child disability among Palestinian refugee communities in Lebanon. Nepal’s COVID-19 recovery process was strengthened with the development of a new sub-national programme on paediatric emergency care. We increased the scale and impact of our perinatal programme in Rwanda covering nearly half of Rwanda’s government hospitals.
Myanmar faced a difficult year battling COVID-19 and a military coup. The College found new ways to engage and support our paediatric clinicians online to maintain clinical training and mentoring. When the UK Government approved a reduction on Overseas Development Assistance, the College responded with evidence of the critical need for aid and how the funds are used. Our RCPCH Global programme has been affected by this decision, but we pushed ahead and made great strides in the work we do in developing countries.
Photo courtesy: Dr Bethany Bryant
RCPCH Conference Singapore 6-7 March 2021
95% rated quality of presentations as good or excellent.
18
83% rated the
subject matter as good or excellent.
700
delegates attended.
32
countries represented.
Our strategy
Our community
Being more mindful Why mental health is core to clinical paediatrics Page 12
All change
The handover of the College presidency Page 14
My redeployment Taking on a new role during the pandemic Page 18
Know your apps Encouraging positive behaviour online Page 20
SUMMER 2021 IN S IDE
SPRING 2021 I N S I DE
FORECASTING THE FUTURE FOR OUR PROFESSION
RCPCH TURNS 25 New RCPCH President
Dr Camilla Kingdon Page 4
The PAFTAs 2021 Celebrating this year’s winners and more Page 12
Good vibes
The many benefits of a positive mindset at work Page 20
Close to home
Top location tips for this year’s holidays Page 28
The magazine of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health
The magazine of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health
Open to all
Accessibility and inclusion in health Page 11
Soft Landing
The scheme to help IMGs find their feet Page 12
Bronchiolitis
How we can be best prepared for a surge Page 14
Women at work
A woman’s experience in paediatrics Page 16
I N S I DE
SLEEP IN A TIME OF COVID
WINTER 2021
PAEDIATRICS FLYING HIGH
AUTUMN 2021
The Great Paediatric Bake-off was a success. Over 600 members attended our live wellbeing event at RCPCH Conference 2021 with Dr Ash Patel. Members continue to connect and share recipes which can be found in Milestones and online.
The magazine of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health
The magazine of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health
I N S I DE
Paediatricians not only care for their patients, but also each other. This year we saw four issues of our member magazine, Milestones, tackle subjects that were important to our members. Written by members for members, Milestones gives us a glimpse of life as a paediatrician working in the NHS. We partner with an amazing member-led editorial board to shape each issue with many volunteers from nurses to physician associates sharing their stories.
Playing our part
A paediatrician’s role in treating eating disorders Page 12
Warming world
The impact of climate change on child health Page 14
Rural child health A flying paediatrician in Australia Page 16
New faces
The Welcome to Paediatrics! programme Page 20
>20,000 members at end of 2021
25%
of our members are from outside the United Kingdom 19
Our strategy
Shaping policy and advocacy RCPCH is a voice for those who often can’t speak for themselves. Our members care for the health and wellbeing of children and young people across the four nations, and we support that care by making sure the right policies are in place. Whether that care is offered in England, Scotland, Northern Ireland or Wales, the College has consistently called on governments to make the needs of children and young people a priority. We equally support our members and often speak on their behalf to protect the integrity of their profession. The College was visible in Westminster with 10 parliamentary briefings written and sent to MPs and Peers and eight parliamentary committee responses to Select Committee inquiries. This is further strengthened by our Parliamentary Panel, an all-member group working to ensure our public affairs and campaigns work reflects members’ priorities and concerns.
We made increased investment across the College to shore up our offerings and strengthen our training programmes. Generous support from partners like NHS England made it possible for the College to engage in high quality research and audits. We published three national audits—National Paediatric Diabetes, Epilepsy12 and National Neonatal. These resources help our members make improvements in service, provide better care and treatment provision. Epilepsy QI Programme (EQIP) 2022/23 begins with launch of the new EQIP microsite. Nearly 20 NHS Trusts are participating in an eight-month quality improvement training programme and shared learning to end in spring 2022. Additionally we were awarded funding by NHS England for a quality improvement programme which aims to centrally support and develop paediatric epilepsy teams throughout England.
We partner with other Royal Medical Colleges and charitable organisations for research and to influence policy in the following areas:
Children’s Health Policy Influencing Group
Inequalities in Health Alliance
Obesity Health Alliance
UK Health Alliance on Climate Change
End Child Poverty and Keep the Lifeline 20
Leading the way in Children’s Health
Sustainability and the College
Letter from the Treasurer 2020-21 was intended to be a year where we restored business as usual, reset priorities and recovered “post pandemic“. Despite the continued challenges of Covid-19, we largely met these goals. Our main income streams –membership and examinations performed well, with increase in membership , and restoration of income from examinations . We were able to maintain all key services with staff mainly working remotely, and meetings, committees and events running online. We were also able to continue with project work on EDI and climate change. IT resources were developed to support the remote working, online events and exams. We also undertook major refurbishment of the College building to upgrade facilities for staff and members and support hybrid working. Doing all of this alongside careful financial management to reduce costs where possible meant we were able to recover from the deficit of the previous year and end with a surplus of £2 million. This financial position puts us on a strong footing to support our future plans as outlined in our 2021-24 strategy. Dr Liz Marder Treasurer, Member of Board of Trustees RCPCH
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Sustainability and the College
Finance statement The College entered 2020-21 uncertain as to how the ongoing pandemic would impact upon its’ finances. A surplus budget had been set with the aim of replenishing the financial reserves that had been depleted the previous year. As things turned out we were able to meet and exceed our budgetary targets with gross income £1m higher than the previous year and expenditure lower by a similar amount, which taken together with gains on our investments resulted in an overall surplus of £2m, 10% of which related to projects with restricted funding. In such uncertain times it was particularly pleasing to see a £1.2m increase in exams income, a vindication of the investment in new technology that allowed us to continue this provision remotely where face-to-face examination was not possible.
This financial performance has allowed us to restore our reserves to £0.9m which is toward 4% the upper end6% of our reserves policy target and in addition to this there has been extensive investment in our offices at Theobalds Road, 13% 34% making them both ready to accommodate our new patterns of working and creating attractive 7% letting propositions which will provide an on-going income stream for future years. 36%
The Trustees Report & Accounts is now available on the College website. Membership 34%
Auditors: Sayer Vincent Assessments, education and training 36% Investment Managers: Abrdn Business development 7%
6%
Research and policy 13% International 6% Fundraising 0%
Summary income sources for 2020-21
Other 4% Summary expenditure areas for 2020-21 1%
6%
4%
13%
10%
8%
13%
34% 30%
7% 32%
36%
6%
Membership 34%
Membership 10%
Assessments, education and training 36%
Assessments, education and training 30%
Business development 7%
Business development 6%
Research and policy 13%
Research and policy 32%
International 6%
International 8%
Fundraising 0%
Other professional activities and standards 13%
Other 4%
Fundraising and trading 1%
1%
23 13%
10%
Sustainability and the College
Letter from the Board of Trustees Chair
Board of Trustees
At such a time as this, it is a particular honour to join an organisation firmly committed to improving the health and wellbeing of children and young people.
Ms Joanne Shaw (from 1 November 2021) Dame Mary Marsh (to 31 October 2021)
My warm thanks go to my predecessor Dame Mary Marsh for her exceptional leadership of Trustees over the past five years. As the new Chair, I look forward to playing my part as we continue to emerge from the pandemic. Much has been achieved this past year against the background of the pandemic, with the College supporting its members, providing a trusted voice on child health and launching a new three-year strategy. The Review highlights the breadth of work and its positive impact. We would not have been able to do this without the collaborative ethos of the College – and I pay tribute to the Officers, other volunteer members, and staff teams for their efforts and accomplishments. I also thank the Trustees for their ongoing dedication in providing scrutiny and oversight of the College’s governance. They have played an important role in assuring the effective management of risk and financial stewardship during this especially challenging period so that the College remains financially sustainable and can fulfil its charitable objectives. During the year, the College thanked and bade farewell to some longstanding Trustees as their terms concluded, and appointed new talent to succeed them. The entire Board is looking forward to working closely with the President, Chief Executive, members and staff as the new strategy is implemented.
Joanne Shaw Chair, Board of Trustees RCPCH
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Chair
External Trustees Ms Adrija Bhattacharyya, Beneficiary Trustee (Children and Young People) Mr Adam Igra, Innovation Director, Royal Brompton, and Harefield Hospital Mr Simon Meredith, Partner, NGM Tax Law (from 1 December 2021) Ms Sarah Watson, Director of Finance and Technology, Make-A-Wish Foundation UK (from 1 April 2021) Ms Gillian Budd, Head of Governance, Legal and Compliance, Teach First (to 30 November) Mr Anthony Dunnett CBE, Former Director of International Health Partners (to 31 March 2021)
Member Trustees Dr Tsitsi Chawatama-Kwambana (from 1 December 2021) Professor Sir Terence Stephenson Dr Bhanu Williams Dr John Williams Dr Carol Roberts (to 30 November 2021)
RCPCH Officers Dr Camilla Kingdon, RCPCH President (from 10 May 2021) Professor Russell Viner CBE, RCPCH President (to 10 May 2021) Dr Liz Marder, RCPCH Treasurer Professor Steve Turner, RCPCH Registrar (from 1 April 2021) Dr Mike Linney, RCPCH Registrar (to 31 March 2021)
Sustainability and the College
Sustainability and beyond Health has been elevated in the minds of families and governments. This change has accelerated and intensified through the COVID-19 pandemic and as broader socio-economic dynamics evolve, the College is poised to respond. As the voice of children and young people in the health sector, the source for paediatric training and an employer of choice, we have made sustainability and climate change a critical priority.
Climate change: The defining agenda Leaders from around the world gathered in Glasgow for COP26 to discuss and agree on a plan to curb climate change. Following COP26, we hosted a virtual event to continue the conversation with members worldwide. We have 80 members across the world volunteering over the next three years as a part of our Climate Change Working Group. The College developed five working streams to direct their focus and targeted actions. Thank you to our volunteers and workstream leaders.
RCPCH Climate Change leadership Dr Liz Marder - Chair, Climate Change Oversight Group Anthony Dunnett - Deputy Chair, Climate Change Oversight Group Dr Camilla Kingdon - Chair, Expert Reference Group Dr Rosie Spooner - Deputy Chair, Expert Reference Group Dr Katie Knight - Chair, Advocating for change workstream Dr Ray Nethercott - Chair, Research workstream – until November 2021 Dr Helena Clements - Chair, College Building and Resources workstream Dr Emily Payne - Chair, Support for Members workstream Dr Bernadette O’Hare - Chair, International workstream
25
Sustainability and the College Beyond sustainability, which includes our work on environment and community impact, we are targeting wider considerations including broader social aspects such as equality, diversity and inclusion and employee health and well-being.
100%
of our waste is already recycled
All our new furniture is
95%
Investing in staff: Technology upgrades Integral to our College Strategy is the continual improvement in our staff. We invested in a new HR system to introduce a skills module to identify and remedy any gaps through training and/or recruitment. This ensures we have the right people in the right place.
One year on: Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI).
recyclable
We understand the importance of representation when making policies that affect our members. A year into our EDI plan, we have seen an increase in diversity among our volunteers.
Our energy use has reduced by
We noticed inequalities in the paediatric workforce and set a task in 2019 to make changes in the College and in member representation. Subsequently, many improvements have been made and in 2021 we delivered our Working for Change report detailing our outcomes and the steps for the future.
80%
by switching to LED
Equality, diversity and inclusion
1.2 million kgs
One Year On: An update on our progress to open up volunteer roles at RCPCH July 2021
of carbon will be saved each year by switching our members to online-only access to our journal
©RCPCH 2021 Registered charity in England and Wales (1057744) and in Scotland (SCO38299)
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#ChoosePaediatrics Working as a paediatrician is a tough job. But it is also rewarding, fun, stimulating, exciting, intriguing, thought provoking, fruitful, engaging, empowering and so much more. Our #ChoosePaediatrics work is a College wide effort to attract individuals who are talented and spirited into a career in paediatrics. The pandemic is not over, but we now have the tools to prepare for future uncertainties. We are working to make it possible that recruitment, exams, and assessments are not disrupted. We intend to further develop #ChoosePaediatrics and take forward a review of our online and course-based educational offerings.
We look forward to the launch of the paediatric workforce census and publishing our findings. Investments will continue in digital areas with the arrival of our new Chief Digital Officer who will lead the review of our current systems and guide us on the development of a new e-learning platform.
Meet new members and reconnect with old friends. We invite you to join us this June at RCPCH Conference in Liverpool and become a part of the wonderful changes happening at the College.
Annual Review 2021 Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health is a registered charity in England and Wales (1057744) and in Scotland (SCO38299) © 2022 Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, 5–11 Theobalds Road, London, WC1X 8SH
RCPCH Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health
Leading the way in Children’s Health
