Over the past few weeks, since this crisis started, I鈥檝e been doing a lot of listening. I鈥檓 in touch with colleagues across Wales, hosting weekly conference calls with clinical leads and members of our Wales Committee, to hear what the issues are in acute settings, in community settings, for trainees, for a range of specialisms.
I鈥檓 feeding in on your behalf to work we鈥檙e doing as a College, including our substantial guidance on how we can structure paediatric services and plan staffing and rotas, and making sure that College Officers and its CEO and President understand the picture here in Wales.
I've highlighted issues to Welsh Government... asking them to do all they can to make it clear that when children become unwell, whatever the symptoms, they need to call a doctor
I鈥檓 also using your insight to inform regular and ongoing discussions with Welsh Government. One of the key things I鈥檓 hearing from so many of you is a concern around the harms not just caused by the virus itself, but by the various ways we鈥檙e having to respond to it and the social impact of the huge changes we鈥檙e living with. I鈥檝e highlighted a number of these issues to Welsh Government, especially our concern around late presentations, asking them to do all they can to make it clear that when children become unwell, whatever the symptoms, they need to call a doctor.
Things are moving quickly. We鈥檙e learning weekly if not daily of issues we need to address and adapting our ways of working in this new landscape. I鈥檓 here to represent our members in Wales, so if you have an issue we need to think about, get in touch with me by emailing Lisa at the RCPCH Wales office on enquiries-wales@rcpch.ac.uk
Thanks for reading. Let鈥檚 all take care of each other so that we can take care of everyone else.
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