Atoms
Turn it down! It had been close to 5 years since their last visit. The wooden cottage deep in the state boundary forest had been (for a dime or two) maintained by, now elderly contemporaries of their parents, they now approaching the age when even routine maintenance had become daunting. Still, good to escape the burbs, the combined thud of pantechnicons and soap opera dramas of quotidian life gradually taking its toll, a subtle change imperceptible to anyone not closely scrutinising consecutive annual city gala town hall lawn group pictures, the assembled all unaware of the slow erosion – skin, posture, vigour... To their delight, both the front door and shutters opened without resistance. Something else, though, was different: the orchard, once the source of noise (birdsong, wind, insects) was silent. At least to them: though their children shrieked at the sound of the yellow-jackets on the far...
>> Read More

Research collaboration to benefit child health: PaeCH of an idea
West London Children’s Healthcare (WLCH) formally was launched in April 2022, bringing together children’s services across Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust under a single leadership structure, accountable for all aspects of operational, quality, safety and financial performance. From its inception, the partnership extended to academia, through a close working relationship with Imperial College London; and to other providers of child health services across Northwest London. The need for such an alliance arose because there are significant health challenges and inequalities in health status and life expectancy in this region (figure 1). The mission is to drive continuous improvements in health and well-being; engaging with children, young people and their families to deliver outstanding care, to create and share new knowledge and to use expertise to influence sustainable change. There is clear evidence that research-active settings deliver better patient care...
>> Read More

Public health burden of magnet ingestion in the UK
The reported incidence of magnet ingestion in children across the world is increasing at an alarming rate over the past two decades.1 2 Neville et al present the first nationwide data from the UK on the scale of magnet ingestion and related injuries in children and young people (CYP).3 This offers a useful context to understand the health burden of this problem in the UK. Even at a conservative estimate the study reports an incidence of 2.4/100 000 CYP per year. The role of social media is noteworthy as they were directly implicated in 6% of the cases. The highest proportion of ingestions being reported in the Index of Multiple Deprivation 1 may suggest reduced awareness of the dangers of magnet ingestion as well as challenges in availability of adult supervision in CYP groups from areas of socioeconomic deprivation. Although the majority of...
>> Read More

Safe havens in health: standards of care for children and young people seeking asylum and refugees
This review outlines current literature regarding access to and quality of healthcare for children and young people seeking asylum and refugees in the UK. The multiple factors influencing their experiences are explored, alongside the optimal design of services to best address their needs. A consensus view of best practice is described in the form of service delivery standards for care delivered by paediatricians in emergency departments, inpatient, outpatient and other community settings.
>> Read More