The changing UK paediatric consultant workforce: report from the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health.

OBJECTIVES: To determine if there had been changes in the size of the UK paediatric workforce and working patterns between 1999 and 2013. DESIGN: Analysis of prospectively collected datasets. SETTING: UK consultant paediatricians. INTERVENTIONS: Data from the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health's workforce census from 1999 to 2013 and the annual surveys of new paediatric Certificate of Completion of Training (CCT) and Certificate of Equivalence of Specialist Registration (CESR) holders between 2010 and 2013. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Paediatric consultant numbers, programmed activities (PAs) and resident shift working. RESULTS: The UK paediatric consultant workforce grew from 1933 in 1999 to 3718 in 2013. Over the same time period, there was a decline in the number of consultants with a primary academic contract from 210 to 143. There was an increase in the proportion of consultants who were female (40% in 1999 to 50% in 2013, p<0.01). The median number of PAs declined from 11 in 2009 to 10 in 2013 (p<0.001) as did the median number of PAs for supporting professional activities (2.5-2.3, p<0.001). In 2013, 38% of new consultants in general paediatrics or neonatology were working resident shifts. Between 2009 and 2013, the proportion of less than full-time working consultants rose from 18% to 22%, which was more common among female consultants (35% vs 9%). CONCLUSION: The paediatric consultant workforce has doubled since 1999, but more are working less than full time. The decline in those with a primary academic contract is of concern.

Career intentions and choices of paediatricians entering training in the UK.

INTRODUCTION: The paediatric workforce has grown substantially in recent years. Roles have changed considerably with the introduction of working time legislation and a move towards a trained doctor solution. By gaining a better understanding of paediatric trainees' career intentions, this study aims to assess whether the right workforce is being trained to meet the future demand for paediatric services in the UK. METHOD: A survey was sent to paediatric specialist trainees, when they were expected to have completed their 1st year of Specialty Training or Fixed Term Specialty Training Appointments, in 2009 (part 1). A second survey was sent to the same cohort when they were expected to have completed their 3rd year in 2011 (part 2). RESULTS: In part 1 of the survey, the response rate was 79.1%. In part 2 the response rate was 80.5%. Of those who had responded to part 1, 87.4% also responded to part 2. The attrition rate of trainees leaving the paediatric training scheme between the 1st year and 3rd year of training was 15%. Of those still training in paediatrics after the 3rd year, 38.7% intended to be subspecialty paediatricians, 25.7% general paediatricians, 5.4% community paediatricians and 3.5% academic paediatricians. 26% were undecided and 0.6% did not intend to follow a career in paediatrics at all. The proportion of trainees who were undecided about their career intentions had risen substantially from 7.7% after the 1st year. There was a decrease in trainees' confidence in obtaining a consultant post between the 1st year and the 3rd year. CONCLUSIONS: Workforce planning is a complex task and this study shows that trainees will change their career plans while progressing through their run-through programmes. A better understanding of these factors will enable the Royal College of Paediatrics and Chld Health to deliver the right workforce for the UK.

Substituting community children's nursing services for inpatient care: a case study of costs and effects.

OBJECTIVE: To compare children's pathways to and through Community Children's Nursing Team (CCNT) care, and NHS costs, before and after relocation of inpatient services and extension of a paediatric Emergency Department and Observation and Assessment Unit (ED/OAU). DESIGN: Case study. Routinely collected data on activity and staffing were provided by the CCNT. Parents completed questionnaires about their child's use of healthcare services and satisfaction with care preservice reconfiguration (n=221) or postreconfiguration (n=210). The cost of service use was compared prereconfiguration and postreconfiguration. PATIENTS: Children referred to CCNT care. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Healthcare service use and associated costs, satisfaction with CCNT care. RESULTS: The mean number of services used before referral to the CCNT reduced from 2.8 to 1.6, and the proportion using only one service increased from 26% (n=58) to 61% (n=128). Inpatient admission during CCNT care reduced from 6% (n=13) to 2% (n=4), and ED attendance from 37% (n=79) to 16% (n=31). There was a considerable fall (25%) in the cost of CCNT care, and a sharp fall (55%) in the average overall NHS cost of care. CCNT care was rated 'excellent' or 'very good' by 85% of respondents both prereconfiguration and postreconfiguration. CONCLUSIONS: A CCNT provided an alternative to hospitalisation when acute general paediatric services were reconfigured to substitute for a relocated hospital. Children's pathways to CCNT care were shortened. The average cost of CCNT care and overall NHS cost were lower following reconfiguration. Satisfaction remained high throughout.

Enhancing parents' confidence to care in acute childhood illness: triangulation of findings from a mixed methods study of Community Children's Nursing.

BACKGROUND: Children's emergency hospital use is of concern internationally, but there has been little examination of home care by nurses. AIMS: To examine the care provided by community children's nurses during acute illness. DESIGN: Triangulation of findings from case studies of three Community Children's Nursing Teams. METHODS: Parents or carers (n = 763) completed questionnaires between 2008-2010 about their contacts with nurses and satisfaction with aspects and overall assessment of nursing care provided. Eighty-one individuals participated in semi-structured interviews: 29 parents/carers described their experiences and explained their questionnaire responses in more detail; 13 children talked about their care both in hospital and at home; and 39 nurses and other healthcare providers explained how nurses supported care of children at home. Questionnaire data were analysed descriptively and interview data qualitatively. The findings were integrated by triangulation of methods (questionnaires and interviews) and of data from different informants (children, parents, healthcare providers). RESULTS: Nursing care most frequently took the form of advice and education by either home visits or telephone contact. Parents and children were reassured by access to nurses and it gave them confidence to care at home. Most respondents thought that it reduced the time their children spent in hospital. CONCLUSIONS: Nurses can make an important contribution to supporting parents to care confidently for their children at home to reduce or even to avoid hospitalization for acute conditions and give them confidence to manage future episodes of illness.

Comparison of the costs of care during acute illness by two community children's nursing teams.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the costs associated with care by two community children's nursing teams (CCNT). DESIGN: A case study incorporating questionnaire survey, analysis of routinely collected data and analysis of costs in the north-west England. PATIENTS: Children with acute illness referred for CCNT care. INTERVENTIONS: Two CCNT provided care for 273 children during acute illness in order to reduce the number and duration of hospital admissions. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Costs of CCNT, other services and costs to families. RESULTS: The objectives of both CCNT included shortening and avoiding hospitalisations. Most (45 (58%) in case A and 150 (77%) in case B) children were referred for infections. There were differences in the proportion of children who had been hospitalised (45 (57.7%) and 78 (40%)), the mean number of services used before referral to CCNT (1.6 and 2.2) and the staffing profile of the CCNT. There was a statistically significant difference in the overall mean cost to the NHS of CCNT care (£146 and £238, 95% CI for difference of means 7 to 184), associated with higher proportions of children having telephone-only contact (two (3%) and 46 (24%)) and children using almost twice as many other health services during care by one CCNT (means 0.27 and 0.51). CONCLUSIONS: Costs of CCNT care can vary widely when all health service use is taken into account. Differences in the way CCNT are integrated with the urgent care system, and the way in which CCNT care is organised, could contribute to variations in costs.