Over 200 children joined more than 100 researchers, clinicians, and parents at Chelsea Football Club in West London.
Imperial College London's Centre for Paedatrics and Child Health and Mohn Centre for Children's Health and Wellbeing, West London Children's Healthcare, and the NIHR Imperial Biomedical Research Centre (BRC) brought together children and young people from across North West London to discuss the future of child health research and NHS services.
A focus on common diseases of childhood
The event saw children from local schools meet scientists and healthcare professionals at Chelsea's Stamford Bridge stadium. Here they learned about research to improve our understanding and treatment of diseases that affect millions of children in the UK, including asthma, allergies, infectious diseases, and, as pictured below, the science and benefits of breastfeeding to child health.
The Patient Experience Research Centre facilitated 'research cafés', where researchers could have relaxed conversations with the public. Young guests shared their own opinions of what's most important in child health research and NHS care.
School groups also entered a competition to come up with the best new ideas to improve children's health and wellbeing. Creative ideas included how to get more sleep, ways to encourage children to be more active, and how children can reduce stress. The team from Uxendon Manor Primary School and their pitch to improve mental health were worthy winners.
Listening to the community
Professor Sejal Saglani, Director of Imperial's Centre for Paedatrics and Child Health, which unites child health researchers from across the university, said: "We don't want to just do research to children; we want to do research with children and their families.
"It's important to make our health research relevant to patients and the only way to do that is by working really closely with our NHS partners. Everything we do is in unison to improve the health and wellbeing of children."
West London Children's Healthcare brings together services for children and young people at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust and Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust to improve quality, experience and outcomes across all aspects of child health.
Nicola Grinstead, Managing Director for West London's Children's Healthcare, said: "It really matters to us to hear directly from children and young people about what's important to them: whether that's how hospital services are shaped; what research questions we should be prioritising; or how they want to be directly involved in shaping the future. That was the purpose of this event."
Professor Aubrey Cunnington, lead for Paediatrics within the NIHR Imperial BRC, said: "This event demonstrates the remarkable commitment of our Paediatrics and Child Health researchers to engaging and involving children, young people, and parents in every aspect of research. This ensures that our research is serving the needs of our local communities and make our research better and more impactful."
The Mohn Centre for Children's Health and Wellbeing based in Imperial's School of Public Health, works to unpick the complex network of interactions between environmental, behavioural, genetic and molecular factors that affect children's physical and mental health challenges, and health inequalities.
Professor Dougal Hargreaves, from the Mohn Centre, said: " This was such an inspiring and enjoyable event which will inform our future research into a wide range of physical and mental health issues affecting children and young people. I particularly want to thank all the school pupils, our Young Community Research Champions and members of our Young People's Advisory Group who helped make the day such a success."
The day concluded with a wide-ranging panel discussion and Q&A on research priorities to improve child health in West London and beyond.
Ben Coleman, Member of Parliament for Chelsea and Fulham, pictured above, who took part in the panel discussion alongside leading researchers, doctors, and members of the community, said:
"To understand and help people, and do real research, you need to go out and talk to them. The more the NHS and researchers can work together, the better and healthier we can make the country. I hugely congratulate Imperial and West London Children's Healthcare for trying to crack this."
