Position statement

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Air pollution in the UK - position statement

Air pollution poses a serious threat to children's health in the UK, contributing to a range of adverse health outcomes and premature mortality. This updated position statement reviews the latest evidence, now including the impact of indoor air pollution on children. With pollutants from both outdoo...

Air pollution

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Gender identity services and advocacy for children and young people

There has been growing interest in how the NHS should most appropriately assess, diagnose and care for children and young people who are questioning their gender identity or experiencing gender incongruence. This page provides more information for College members about NHS care for children who are ...

General paediatrics

Gender identity

LGBTQ+

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The role of paediatricians in children and young people's mental health - position statement 2024

Childhood mental health problems are common and increasing across the UK. Our position, updated in February 2024, outlines the role for paediatricians in prevention, early recognition and holistic care. It also calls for greater investment, support for child health professionals and government actio...

Community child health

General paediatrics

Mental health

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Child health inequalities and climate change in the UK - position statement

Climate change poses an existential threat to the health and wellbeing of children and young people, but it is not experienced equally. This position statement focuses on how climate change exacerbates child health inequalities. Actions to combat climate change could improve child health equity, an...

Public health

Health inequalities

Wellbeing for children and young people

Climate change

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Paediatric virtual wards - position statement

Paediatric virtual wards can enable children with a range of acute health needs to be cared for at home, in a more familiar and comfortable environment. This could be particularly valuable for children with ongoing health needs or high care demand who may otherwise be in and out of hospital. There i...

Health policy

Service design

Resource

Enteral calcium and phosphate supplementation in neonates and children - position statement

This statement is produced by Neonatal and Paediatric Pharmacy Group (NPPG), with support from RCPCH. There are no licensed oral liquid calcium or phosphate products available in the UK. Administration of an effervescent calcium or phosphate tablet is common, and this statement provides guidance for...

Document

Administration of rectal diazepam to neonates and infants to treat seizures prior to hospital admission - position statement

This guidance is for ambulance services which need to administer diazepam, a medicine for treating seizures, to neonates and infants. It explains how to accurately administer a 1.25mg or 2.5mg dose directly from a 5mg rectal tube. Buccal midazolam is usually preferred to rectal diazepam in the ho...

Resource

Tackling climate change - our action plan

As we advocate for children and young people's health and wellbeing, we have a responsibility to address the impact of climate change, which is described by the World Health Organisation as the "defining health challenge of our time". This action plan, published in January 2022, outlines our specifi...

Public health

Health inequalities

Climate change

Resource

Meeting the mental health needs of children and young people in acute hospitals: these patients are all our patients

The pandemic has exacerbated already existing pressures on services caring for children and young people presenting with mental ill health. Regardless of where children and young people present to care or what their specific health needs are, we must work together to ensure they receive the highest ...

Document

The impact of climate change on global child health - position statement

The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health recognises that climate change is an existential threat to the health and well-being of children and young people. In October 2020, we joined national health and academic alliances to declare climate change an emergency requiring accelerated collabor...

Global child health

Society

Climate change