Children’s cystic fibrosis team attends European conference

In June 2023, members of the Children’s Cystic Fibrosis Team attended The 46^th European Cystic Fibrosis Conference in Vienna.

Over the course of the week the team had the opportunity to meet international, like-minded healthcare professionals whilst attending symposiums, workshops and facilitating discussions focussed on the most up to date research in CF research worldwide.

Specialist paediatric dietitian Paige Alsop specialises in the nutritional needs of children and young people with cystic fibrosis at Newcastle’s Great North Children’s Hospital.

She explains why such opportunities are important for herself and her colleagues, the paediatric cystic fibrosis team and most importantly, the patients we care for.

“Attending international conferences and showcasing work being carried out in the Trust is an excellent way to represent Newcastle Hospitals and raise the profile of our regional centre.

“Having multiple members of the team attend meant that we could each benefit from the conference in different ways that are relevant to our roles. The conference provided many opportunities to develop our competencies and knowledge in CF through symposiums and workshops.

“Networking with people from a variety of disciplines around the world provokes stimulating conversations and thoughts which takes into consideration cultural, racial and demographic differences in CF patients around the world.

“It was a great experience to learn from others and debate best practice for our patients.”

Paige says that the conference has made the team reflect on what they are doing now and consider what they should be doing in the future to ensure they can provide a service in line with global recommendations for our patients.

She explains: “Currently, there are no UK guidelines around using body composition measurements as part of nutritional assessment in patients with CF. Yet in Australia this is recommended as part of that assessment.

“Experts from around the world joined together at the conference to share research and debate what should be best practice moving forwards.”

Trust funding support

The team was supported to attend the conference by the Trust’s Education and Workforce Development department via a combination of Continuous Professional Development (CPD ) and study leave funding.

From left to right:

• Eleanor McGray – Specialist Paediatric Dietitian (CF)
• Iram Haq – Consultant Respiratory Paediatrician and Researcher
• Stephanie Graham – Specialist Paediatric Physiotherapist (CF)
• Sophia Ward – Specialist Paediatric Physiotherapist (CF)
• Paige Alsop – Specialist Paediatric Dietitian (CF) and NMAHP RDI Fellow
• Claire Fagan – Specialist Paediatric Nurse (CF)

I would definitely recommend colleagues to seek CPD support to attend study and other events.

Of the support received Paige says: “I think CPD is so important for professional development, to share and learn from practitioners out with Newcastle Hospitals, to gain different insights and knowledge in the field we work in.

“For the team, it brings in new ideas whether that be ways of working, leadership skills or research ideas. From a trust perspective, investing time in CPD for every member of staff will raise the standard of knowledge, skills, expertise and confidence in our workforce and raise the profile of the hospital!

“Applying for CPD support was very straightforward in my experience and without it I would not have been able to benefit from this conference.”

Paige will remain in contact with the experts she met seeking guidance to help with the formation of new guidelines, and how to embed new practices into our service here at the Great North Children’s Hospital for better patient outcomes.

She adds: “By connecting with professionals from other centres, we have learned more about other centres’ ongoing research projects which we have been invited to take part in as a regional centre. We are excited by the possibilities of facilitating important multi-centres studies which in turn, will benefit our patients.”

Attending this conference aligns with the trust’s visions and values to be innovate and maintain high standards.

We are dedicated to ensuring best outcomes for our patients and to do this we must be prepared to learn, share and be open to new ideas and change, which is exactly what this conference was about.

• The conference aligns with the Trust’s objectives to build and strengthen our research capacity.
• This opportunity allowed several professionals from the CF service, no matter what stage in their career, to share research internationally with experts in the field.
• We have each returned with different learning experiences and new knowledge and ideas to share with our respective teams, which will promote further research and hopefully build confidence across our NMAHPs workforce to take part in similar opportunities.