I would like to share some exciting news from our Children & Young transformation programme. We have been successful and chosen by NHSEI to pilot a service enhancement offer to improve asthma care and support for our children & young people within our region.
This was a competitive bid with other ICS’s in our region and being our first attempt in these processes this is especially rewarding. The funding is for a two-year pilot to appoint two clinical posts: a specialist and highly specialist practitioner in children’s asthma management to work across our ICS targeting areas of improvement as set out within the national bundle of standards for childhood asthma.
It will also enable us to support our primary care colleagues in asthma diagnosis, care and follow up alongside developing our partnership working with local communities such as embedding the asthma friendly schools initiative and promoting cleaner air on both the domestic and environmental fronts (a significant factor in determining asthma outcomes).
This will mean that our Children & Young Asthma programme will get a significant boost to improve the chances of successfully delivering the standards set out in the national asthma bundle for Children & Young People.
Key activities will include:
- Improving care pathways across primary, secondary, and tertiary care
- Providing targeted support in primary care, starting with those areas with the poorer outcomes
- Developing and embedding the asthma friendly schools initiative
- Supporting the development of children’s asthma diagnostic hubs in the community, meaning early and accurate diagnosis to ensure children are receiving the correct treatment plan
Improving asthma care for our children and young people will support their chances of starting well in life regardless of where the live or their circumstances.
Grateful thanks to all my colleagues who have all supported the bid, it is demonstrable evidence of how system collaboration is a positive influence for change. I am absolutely thrilled we were successful in this bid and is testament to the progress the children & young people’s alliance has made over the last six months and has certainly set the bar high for future projects.