January

Australia Day Honours 2014

Officer (AO) in the General Division

Professor Christine Bennett for service to medicine

Member (AM) in the General Division

Professor Glenn Marshall for service to paediatric oncology and Dr Peter Martin Winterton for service to youth and medicine

Medal (OAM) in the General Division

Dr John Charles Vance for service to the blind

Health Legislation

The PCHD contributed to the letter from the RACP President on Health Practitioner Regulation National Law (Restricted Birthing Practices) Bill, 9 January 2014.

Mental Health/Disability

Email to the NSW Council for Intellectual Disability to advice of RACP activity related to the National roundtable on the mental health of people with intellectual disability, 14 January 2014.

February

Written examination

238 candidates sat the written exam in Australia and 165 passed (69.3%) and 22 candidates sat the written exam in New Zealand and 20 passed. (90.9%)

Senate contribution

Following a request from the Australian Government Chief Medical Officer, the Division contributed to the Senate Standing Committee on Community Affairs report on Involuntary or coerced sterilisation of intersex people in Australia.

Refugee Health

Media Release: RACP welcomes national inquiry into children in detention Indigenous Health.

Indigenous Health

Media Release: RACP welcomes report on Indigenous health but more needs to be done.

Specialty societies and SACs

Annual PCHD Council meeting with representatives from the relevant specialty societies and College specialty advisory committees. Australian Government Chief Medical Officer Professor Chris Baggoley attended the meeting where matters of education, workforce, research and policy were shared and discussed with the chairs of the paediatric speciality societies. (27 Februaru 2014).

Sleeping

The PCHD contributed to the letter from the RACP President on the Australian College of Midwives Draft Position Statement on Bed-sharing and Co-Sleeping (Position Statement), 13 February 2014.

Awards

Congratulations to A/Prof Elizabeth Elliott, the Director of APSU who, with support from a team of paediatricians, was announced in the NHMRC Ten of the Best 2013 for research on influenza.

Congratulations to Dr Philip Britton who is the recipient of the inaugural RACP P&CHD NHMRC Award for Excellence for his research on Childhood Encephalitis in Australasia. This was the first paediatric top up scholarship awarded out of the paediatric corpus in the RACP Foundation and the first year that the College collaborated with NHMRC to award top up scholarships to successful NHMRC recipients.

March

Vitamins

Media release: The marketing of vitamins to children.

Breastfeeding

Media release: Promote breastfeeding and restrict marketing of infant formulas

Physical punishment

Media release: Will SAC become the first state to ban smack?

Disability

Attendance at the Intellectual Disability Network Forum of NSW Agency for Clinical Innovation - Dr Jacqueline Small, Friday 7 March 2014.

Cardiac Death

The PCHD facilitated comment by specialty societies to the Sudden Cardiac Deaths in Young Australians at the request of the Australian Government Chief Medical Officer.

Palliative care

Contribution to the Draft National Consensus Statement: Essential Elements for Safe and High-Quality End-of-Life Care in Acute Hospitals (the Consensus Statement) released by the Australian Commission for Safety and Quality in Health Care (the Commission).

April

Council

Dr Nicki Murdock began her term as President of the PCHD. Dr Sarah Dalton was appointed as President- Elect and Professor Paul Colditz was appointed as the second Board member from the Division. Andrew Kennedy was appointed as the AYAM representative and Dr James Hodges was appointed as the Trainee representative.

Healthcare value

‘Opportunity Child’ Launch with the Hon. Kevin Andrews MP, Minister for Social Services – Dr Jacqueline Small, 30 April 2014.

May

Ethics

Contribution to the RACP Guidelines for Ethical Relationships Between Health Professionals and Industry (the Guidelines).

Awards

The following paediatricians received RACP awards:

• Dr Christine Mincham, 2013 Examination Medal in Paediatrics & Child Health
• Dr Jim Newcombe, Trainee of the Year 2013
• Dr Peter Roper, Mentor of the Year 2013
• Dr Leo Buchanan, John Sands Medal 2013
• Dr Johan Morreau, John Sands Medal 2014
• Dr Roger Tuck, John Sands Medal 2014
• Dr Philip Britton, RACP PCHD NHMRC Award for Excellence (a new award for the PCHD)
• Dr Bhavna Padhye, Kids’ Cancer Project Research Entry Scholarship
• Dr Moya Vandeleur, ResMed Foundation/Sleep Health Foundation Research Entry Scholarship
• Dr Mary Berry, Fellows Research Establishment Fellowship
• Dr Kenneth Pang, The Miriam Greenfield RACP Research Establishment Fellowship
• Dr Tobias Strunk, AstraZeneca Research Establishment Fellowship in Medical Research

Other awards received by the following paediatricians:

• Dr Marie Rauter, RACP Trainee Research Award for Excellence in the field of paediatric medicine
• Dr Andrew Hardy, Wiley New Investigator Award
• Dr Rachel Noovao, Best Poster Prize in Paediatrics & Child Health
• Dr Caroline Mahon, Rue Wright Memorial Award

June

Stem Cells

AFRM position statement on the use of stem cells as a therapy for cerebral palsy.

Radiation

Contribution to Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Radiologists (RANZCR) Task Force on the development of the RANZCR position on imaging referral guidelines and decision support tools.

Patient care

Contribution to the NSW Agency for Clinical Intervention: A clinician’s guide: Caring for people with gastrostomy tubes and devices.

Self-harm

Submission to the [Australian] National Children’s Commissioner examination of intentional self-harm and suicidal behaviour in children.

Alcohol

Contribution to the RACP Alcohol Policy Statement.

Paediatric Fellow, Professor Elizabeth Elliott attended and presented at the launch of a new project by the Foundation for Alcohol Research and Education (FARE) ‘Women Want to Know’.

Refugee Health

The PCHD/RACP made a submission to the Australian Human Rights Commission’s (AHRC) Inquiry into Children in Immigration Detention.

Media Release: Doctors’ duty of care to people seeking asylum must be respected.

Media release: Removing children from immigration detention is the only way to protect their health.

Media release: World Refugee Day.

Awards

The following Paediatrics & Child Health Division members were recognised on the Queen’s Birthday honours lists in 2014.

Officer (AO) in the General Division

Professor Heather Elizabeth Jeffery FRACP - For distinguished service to medicine and tertiary education in the field of paediatrics, and to improve maternal and child health in rural and remote Australia and in developing countries.

Professor Terence Michael Nolan FRACP FAFPHM - For distinguished service to medicine as a leader in the field of epidemiology and population health, to policy development and advisory roles in immunisation, and to education.

Professor Ingrid Eileen Scheffer FRACP - For distinguished service to medicine in the field of paediatric neurology as a clinician, academic and mentor, and to research into the identification of epilepsy syndromes and genes.

Professor Martin Silink AM FRACP - For distinguished service to medicine in the field of paediatric endocrinology as a clinician, researcher and administrator, and to international leadership in diabetes care and advocacy.

Member (AM) in the General Division

Professor Nadia Badawi FRACP - For significant service to paediatrics and neo-natal intensive care medicine as a clinician and researcher, and to the promotion of research into cerebral palsy.

Dr James Allan Mawdsley FRACP - For service to community health.

July

Physical punishment

Media release: Brazil becomes 38th country to ban all forms of physical punishment.

Mortality

Media release: Research into infant death rate inconsistencies across Australia needed to improve health outcomes supporting the Healthy Communities: Child and Maternal Health in 2009-2012.

Refugee Health

Media Release: Expert immigration health advice needed now more than ever.

Exams

238 trainees sat the clinical examin Australia, 181passed (76.1%). 26 trainees sat the clinical exam in New Zealand, 17 passed (65.4%).

Child Protection

National Framework for Protecting Australia's Children: Annual Coalition meeting in Melbourne – Dr Catherine Marraffa, 21 July 2014.

Pricing

Contribution to the RACP submission to the Independent Hospital Pricing Authority (IHPA) public consultation on Pricing Framework for Australian Public Hospital Services 2015-16 (July 2014).

August

Refugee Health

Media release: Immigration Minister must release every child from immigration detention.

Health Framework

Contribution to the Development of a National Child and Youth Strategic Framework for Health Discussion Paper.

Award

Media Release: Mosman paediatric neurologist acknowledged for outstanding contribution to health.

September

Breastfeeding

Media release: Infant formula marketing must be regulated to protect breastfeeding

Refugee Health

Opinion piece: Standards of care in offshore detention a cause for concern

Governance

The PCHD Council held its annual planning day to determine priorities for 2015. (5 Sept 13).

PCHD Executive Committee was reinvigorated.

Research

The Paediatric Research Committee developed the PCHD Statement on Research for Children and Young People, September 2014.

Members

Dr Nicki Murdock and Dr Sarah Dalton met with the Children’s Commissioner Ms Megan Mitchell on the 4 Sept 14.

Award

Dr Sarah Curnow as the recipient of the 2014 College Examination Medal in Paediatrics & Child Health for best overall performance in the combined Written and Clinical Examination.

October

Refugee Health

Third Child Protection Roundtable: Children in Detention – A/Prof Karen Zwi, 17 October, 2014.

Early childhood

Contribution by the PCHD President-Elect to the draft ‘Statement of Intent on Children’s Rights in Early Childhood Education and Care’ via Save the Children Australia as well as the [Australian] National Children’s Commissioner.

Quality

Advice to the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care on the data and topics to be included in the Australian Atlas of Healthcare Variation.

November

Health Framework

[Australian] National Child and Youth Strategic Framework for Health Forum – Dr Susan Woolfenden and A/Prof Karen Zwi, 19 November 2014.

Submission to the second round of consultation on the Development of a National Child and Youth Strategic Framework for Health.

Cancer

Feedback provided on Prescribing Isotretinoin for Paediatric Oncological Conditions.

Members

Dr Nicki Murdock visited the Royal College of Paediatrics & Child Health UK.

Dr Sarah Dalton attended the Paediatric Society of New Zealand 66th Annual Scientific Meeting.

Awards

Professor John Whitehall, winner of the Howard Williams Medal.

Professor Ingrid Sheffer of the University of Melbourne was awarded the 2014 Prime Minister’s Prize for Science.

Professor Jane Harding was awarded the Gluckman Medal, the University of Auckland’s premier medical research award.

December

Child rights

Launch of the Children’s Rights Report, 2014 –Dr Nicki Murdock, 8 December, 2014.

Media release: RACP welcomes focus on self-harm in Children’s Rights Report.

Award

Australian Human Rights Commission Awards 2014 – Dr Sarah Dalton, 10 December, 2014.