Committee

Ashifa Trivedi (Chair), Pharmacist, PATCH Pharmacist / Evelina London Children’s Hospital
Sumiah Al-Azeib (Deputy Chair), Pharmacist, Medway NHS Foundation Trust
Janet Clark, Mid Yorkshire Teaching NHS Foundation Trust
Julia Footman, Pharmacy Technician, Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust
Rebecca Le Maistre, Pharmacy Technician, University Hospitals of Northamptonshire
Lucie Mulliss, Pharmacist, Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
David Harris, Pharmacist, University Hospitals of Northamptonshire
Aquila Rajwani, Pharmacist, London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust
Sabrina Tierney, Pharmacist, Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust
Sophia Farooq, Pharmacist, Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust

 Subgroup membership

All subgroup members must be NPPG paid members.
Those interested in becoming members of the subgroup need to email the chair and will automatically become a subgroup member on doing so.

Aim

 To support and strengthen paediatric pharmacy services in District General Hospitals by fostering collaboration, resource sharing, and practical guidance, enabling pharmacists and pharmacy technicians to deliver safe, effective care for children and young people.

Objectives

• Promote and support safe, effective, and resource-sensitive pharmaceutical care for paediatric patients in DGHs, addressing the specific challenges of smaller hospital settings.
• Develop a strong network for DGH pharmacy staff in paediatric settings, fostering collaboration, peer support, and shared learning opportunities.
• Establish a virtual knowledge-sharing hub to exchange case studies, innovative solutions, and practical resources that respond to DGH-specific challenges, such as limited staffing and resources.
• Represent DGH pharmacy interests within the NPPG, advocating for the unique needs of DGH professionals and ensuring their voices are heard in national discussions.
• Forge partnerships with national paediatric and DGH-focused groups to broaden knowledge-sharing and resource access relevant to the DGH setting.
• Create and disseminate educational resources tailored to paediatric pharmacy in DGHs, addressing the practical needs of those in resource-constrained settings.
• Encourage mentorship and peer support among DGH pharmacy staff to reduce professional isolation, support career development, and foster resilience.
• Contribute data and insights from DGH settings to inform national standards, helping shape more accurate staffing and resource recommendations for paediatric care in DGH hospitals.
• Support practical, DGH-relevant research in paediatric pharmacy to drive evidence-based improvements specific to DGH practices. 

Activities 

• Meetings: Steering group meeting every 2 months.
• Study days: Lunchtime teaching sessions held 4 times a year.

Planned activities

• Article in the Pharmaceutical Journal – how to take a paediatric drug history from the perspective of a pharmacy technician with case studies to support the complexities of this in a DGH setting
• Paediatric staffing standards in the DGH setting
• Resource hub to include business cases, job descriptions, shared care agreements and training resources
• Collaboration in writing guidelines where appropriate

Communication within group: Communication via NHS Networks.

Communication with NPPG: Regular reporting to NPPG committee on group activities.