BACCN Invited to attend National Working Group
The BACCN was recently invited to join a national working group that has been set up to address the challenges of caring for the increased numbers of children in the event of a pandemic. Representatives from the Paediatric Intensive Care Society (PICS), The Intensive Care Society (ICS) and the Clinical Operational Research Unit (CORU) had originally met in early June to start to discuss the key challenges that the pandemic would present for critical care units. At this meeting a number of actions were decided upon, it was also decided that the group required wider representation, and a number of other societies were invited to join the group.
At the initial meeting it was decided that a letter should be sent out from the three Presidents from the ICS, PICS and the Association of Paediatric Anaesthetists of Great Britain and Ireland to the members of these three societies. The letter has been emailed and embedded in a newsletter, and it encourages critical care teams in District General Hospitals (DGHs) to liaise with their paediatric colleagues locally and with their regional PICU to establish networks of support for the care of children on general intensive care units.
A paediatric check list has been developed by Verity Kemp and John Lawlor (NHS resilience) with support from the ICS and PICS. This check list will be sent to trust Chief Executives to support organisations in their assessment of their critical care capacity in the event of a pandemic.
Educational Material: Refreshing skills and knowledge.
The group discussed that the regional centralisation of PICUs and use of specialist retrieval teams had deskilled some general critical care practitioners. Therefore, prior to a pandemic every opportunity should be taken to refresh DGH critical care practitioners in paediatric intensive care. During the pandemic, general ICUs will need on-the-floor support from paediatric nursing and medical practitioners and at the very least remote clinical advisory support from PICUs. Expanding critical care capacity will be dependent on generalist anaesthetists caring for ventilated patients, and those with more specific paediatric anaesthesia expertise assisting in the care of children.
Dr Paula Lister (Great Ormond Street Hospital) has developed two educational packages (one for community, one for hospital). These can be accessed via the PICS website.
The next meeting has been organised for mid August and we will keep membership upto date and via our website of any developments
Tracy Pilcher
Chair BACCN
