Last month 55 GPs and practice nurses attended a multi-disciplinary workshop organised by the Children and Young People Health Partnership (CYPHP). The CYPHP Programme is funded by Guy’s and St Thomas’ Charity and aims to improve the health of children and young people in Lambeth and Southwark through the delivery of a comprehensive approach to children’s healthcare. Speakers included representatives from Evelina London, Variety Children’s Hospital@King’s, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, and Dr Stephanie Lamb, GP lead of the CYPHP programme.
The evening’s agenda covered practical aspects of children’s primary care intervention with specific attention given to asthma, adolescent health and mental health. The feedback from the evening was very positive with over 84% of the attendees saying that the event met its learning objectives. The event also gave an opportunity to promote the roll-out of the CYPHP Health Check questionnaires for parents/carers of children and young people with asthma, constipation, eczema and/or epilepsy. The Health Checks will be delivered to all GP practices in Lambeth and Southwark in the coming weeks. Once parents/carers complete the Health Check, CYPHP will be sending them an engaging Health Support Pack with various resources and top tips on how parents/carers can manage their child’s symptoms.
What did people think about the event?
“It is very exciting to be involved in this enthusiastic partnership, working together to improve child health. Central to the success of the programme is the work of the multi-professional clinical team which promotes integrated care, proactive management and patient/families/professionals’ education, all supported by good quality information”. Dr Stephanie Lamb (Programme Lead – GPs & Young People)
“The UK has some of the highest numbers of asthma deaths in the developed world and 90% of these are avoidable, so it was great to have so many people attending to hear about the services we have in place locally and how clincians from different parts of the MDT can contribute to improving outcomes.” Dr. Meredith Robertson (Consultant Respiratory Paediatrician at GsTT)
"It’s an exciting time to be working in primary care and I feel that pharmacists have a lot to offer to support holistic patient care ensuring that patients feel empowered to make the most of their medicines and reduce medication errors. It was great to speak at the GP event. The level of engagement and enthusiasm in the room was great to see and I look forward to building upon the evening to bring sustainable change." Richard Goodwin (Integrated Care Paediatric Pharmacist at Evelina London and Pharmacy Lead CYPHP)
"I joined CYPHP because of its ambitious aim to deliver better healthcare for children and families by thinking in an integrated way about emotional well being and social context as well as physical needs. I was thrilled to have the opportunity to share our work with so many local GPs, hear their thoughts and discuss their questions." Dr Anto Ingrassia (Consultant Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist at SLAM)
What’s next?
CYPHP is keen to maintain the momentum and organise more workshops joining up mental and physical healthcare. After asking the audience, the most popular suggestions included future topics focussing on eczema/allergies and mental health needs.
To attend our next GP workshop, keep an eye out in the next newsletter for further details.