British Paediatric Surveillance Unit team

Formed in 1986, the BPSU is a activity supported by Public Health England, UCL Institute of Child Health and the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health.

The unit aims to:

facilitate research into uncommon childhood infections and disorders for the advancement of knowledge and to effect practical improvement in prevention, treatment and service planning
allow paediatricians to participate in surveillance of uncommon disorders and to lessen the burden on reporting doctors of such requests arising from numerous different sources
increase awareness within the medical profession and public of the less common disorders studied and respond rapidly to public health emergencies
collaborate with our link surveillance units in the UK and across the world.

Phone: +44 (0)20 7092 6173/74

Email: bpsu@rcpch.ac.uk

Recent content

Basic page

BPSU study - invasive Group B streptococcal disease (iGBS)

Surveillance of invasive Group B streptococcal (iGBS) disease in infants aged under 90 days across the UK and Ireland will begin in Autumn 2026. The study will provide updated information on the burden, clinical presentation, outcomes and microbiology of iGBS and provide contemporary evidence to inf...

Basic page

BPSU study - Tenfold (under and over) medication errors in children and young people

The surveillance of tenfold medication errors is to commence in the November 2026 card. The study is led by Dr Charlotte King and will identify the frequency and causes of tenfold medication errors (both overdoses and underdoses) occur in hospitalised children and young people. The findings will inf...

Drugs and medicines

BPSU

News

Two centuries of child health research and four decades of rare disease surveillance: Join the UCL200/BPSU40 symposium

21 August 2026

This September, two major milestones in child health come together at a special symposium exploring the past, present and future of childhood rare disease research. Join us on Tuesday 22 September in London.

News

BPSU publishes first five-year report showcasing the impact of rare disease surveillance

1 July 2026

The British Paediatric Surveillance Unit (BPSU)’s report brings together the Unit's achievements between 2021 and 2025 and demonstrates how national surveillance of rare childhood conditions is improving research, informing policy and supporting clinical care across the UK and Republic of Ireland.

News

Seeing the rare: why surveillance matters

27 February 2026

Each year on the last day of February, Rare Disease Day shines a light on conditions that affect millions worldwide; conditions that most doctors may never encounter. For many families, rarity can mean long diagnostic journeys and uncertainty.

News

Raising awareness of rare diseases in children and young people

28 February 2025

Rare diseases may be individually uncommon - but collectively they affect many people. In fact, one in 17 children in the UK are affected by a rare disease at some point in their lives. We explain what BPSU does, and how you can learn more.

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BPSU study - Congenital and Hospitalised Neonatal Varicella

BPSU surveillance of fetal varicella syndrome (FVS) and neonatal varicella is to commence with the June 2023 card. The study is conducted by the UKHSA and led by Dr Gayatri Amirthalingam, and will study how many babies have FVS or neonatal varicella, the features of the diseases, the treatments babi...

Neonatal medicine

BPSU

Public health

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BPSU - update your details

Thank you for visiting this page. You were recently sent a letter by the BPSU office because whilst auditing our surveillance database we noticed that you had not responded to three or more of our reporting cards. This form is now closed. If you wish to be re-added to the BPSU scheme, please cont...

Basic page

BPSU Study - Near Fatal Asthma

BPSU surveillance of the Near Fatal Asthma in children and young people in UK and Republic of Ireland will commence with the October 2022 reporting card on the new data collection platform. The study aims to describe the frequency, risks factors, clinical care and future asthma risk of children and ...

Basic page

BPSU Study - Acute Hepatitis 22

BPSU surveillance of the Acute Hepatitis in Children 2022 commenced in May 2022 collecting cases seen from January 2022 onwards. This study aims to understand viral, non-viral or unidentified causes of this apparent increase in cases of acute hepatitis reported to the UKHSA. The study is being led b...