Things in the library 2 March...

Things snowy...
We have remained open throughout the bad weather and have had several waifs and strays working here if they can't get to their normal workplace. We sell hot drinks and biscuits and provide a spectacular view across the snowy rooftops of Sheffield.

Things to discuss...
Reading group next week on Wednesday 7th March 17:15 in the library. Drinks and nibbles and discussing a book about Eyam.
Come and join us.

Things about statistics...
We are often asked for help with statistics (which we are unable to do) but we have just bought a new book 'Statistics at square two' which is a companion to 'Statistics at square one'. This book aims to help you to evaluate the many statistical methods in current use and is aimed at all those who need to understand statistics in clinical research papers and apply them in their own research.

Things about the NHS...
The King's Fund has published results and trends from the British Social Attitudes survey which  has asked members of the public about their views on, and feelings towards, the NHS and health and care issues generally. The latest survey was carried out between July and October 2017 and asked a nationally representative sample of 3,004 adults in England, Scotland and Wales about their satisfaction with the NHS overall, and 1,002 people about their satisfaction with individual NHS and social care services. They conclude that :
"looking at the 2017 data through that long-view lens reminds us that overall NHS satisfaction levels remain higher than they were in the 1990s and early-to-mid-2000s. Nevertheless, the statistically significant fall in satisfaction (and rise in dissatisfaction) in 2017 took net satisfaction to its lowest level since 2007. With an increase over the last few years in the proportion of survey respondents reporting lack of funding as a reason for their dissatisfaction, it seems the public is increasingly aware of the reality of funding pressures that the NHS has experienced over the last seven years. With equally small increases in funding planned over the next few years and NHS performance on key headline measures worsening, it is hard to see the public’s satisfaction with the NHS improving in the near future."

Things about kiwis...
A recent article in European Journal of Nutrition reviews the nutritional and health attributes of kiwifruit. The review includes a brief history of green and gold varieties of kiwifruit from an ornamental curiosity from China in the 19th century to a crop of international economic importance in the 21st century; comparative data on their nutritional composition, particularly the high and distinctive amount of vitamin C; and an update on the latest available scientific evidence from well-designed and executed human studies on the multiple beneficial physiological effects.
Of particular interest are the digestive benefits for healthy individuals as well as for those with constipation and other gastrointestinal disorders, including symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome. The mechanisms of action behind the gastrointestinal effects, such as changes in faecal (stool) consistency, decrease in transit time and reduction of abdominal discomfort, relate to the water retention capacity of kiwifruit fibre, favourable changes in the human colonic microbial community and primary metabolites, as well as the naturally present proteolytic enzyme actinidin, which aids protein digestion both in the stomach and the small intestine. The effects of kiwifruit on metabolic markers of cardiovascular disease and diabetes are also investigated, including studies on glucose and insulin balance, bodyweight maintenance and energy homeostasis.

Things about blockchain...
Do you know your Bitcoin from your Ethereum...and the possible implications for this technology for healthcare? If not this article from the Emerging Technology Group at NHS HEE may help you understand.

Things about health services for children...
A framework to support challenged children and young people’s health services achieve a good or outstanding CQC rating has been published. This framework supports and enables senior children and young people’s nurses to achieve good and outstanding care standards for children and young people’s health services. It integrates policy guidance with the most frequent reasons the Care Quality Commission (CQC) gives for rating children’s services as ‘requiring improvement’ or ‘inadequate’ as identified in our review of CQC reports.

Things about fish...
In Pediatric Allergy and Immunology a study by a group in Sweden suggested that toddlers who eat fish at least once a month  or live on a farm are less likely to develop hay fever in later childhood.
Eating fish once a month or more at age 12 months reduced the risk of allergic rhinitis at 12 years (0.70, 0.50-0.98) as did living on a farm with farm animals at four years (0.51, 0.32-0.84). Continuous farm living from age 4 to 12 seemed to drive the association. They concluded that Allergic rhinitis affected more than 20% of 12-year-olds, but was lower in children who ate fish at 12 months or grew up with farm animals.

Things about oral health...
A report on  the oral health survey of 5-year-olds in Yorkshire and the Humber in 2015, as part of the National Dental Epidemiology Programme for England, has been published. Yorkshire and The Humber remains the second worst region in the country for the proportion of five-year-olds with experience of tooth decay. However, the results show a continued decrease in the proportion of children with tooth decay (prevalence) and a decrease in severity of decay (the number of teeth with decay) at a regional level and at a local authority level for most areas. More five-year-old children have had teeth removed (extracted) due to tooth decay in the Yorkshire and The Humber than any other region in England.

Things to eat...
This is a fabulously easy dessert which I have made several times...and of course it features kiwi fruit.

Things in the library 25 August...

Things newly published...
The Lancet has just launched a new journal 'The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health' you can keep abreast of the articles by signing up for their email alerts or you can sign up for our Paediatric medicine e-prompt service which will include this journal along with others that we monitor. We have e-prompts on many specialist subjects and anyone can sign up to receive them.




Things about obesity...

The Department of Health has announced £5 million of funding for a new obesity policy research unit at University College London. One year on from the launch of the childhood obesity plan, the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Obesity Policy Research Unit has been set up to provide resource for long term research into childhood obesity. It will give independent advice to policy makers and analysts, and develop understanding on the causes of childhood obesity, looking at social inequalities, the early years of childhood, and marketing to children and families. It will also help to evaluate action that has been taken so far, to make sure the plan works for those who need it most. In addition, the government tasked Public Health England (PHE) to look at why children are eating too many calories.

Things about allergy growth and nutrition...
A letter in pediatric Allergy and Immunology discusses 'Striking the balance between primary prevention of allergic disease and optimal infant growth and nutrition. '
The timing of introduction of solids and/or complementary feeds continues to be an area of intense interest with respect to allergy prevention and general optimal infant nutrition. There is recent evidence from RCTs and a meta-analysis, that the earlier introduction of peanut (between 4 and 11 months) and egg (between 4 and 6 months), in infants at higher risk of allergic disease, may be beneficial. However, concerns have been raised over the impact this may have on duration of breastfeeding, nutrition and growth, when a high protein and calorie-containing food, such as egg or peanut, is introduced. Duration of breast feeding appears to have little impact on development of allergic disease, but is important for protection against overweight and obesity, diabetes and childhood infections (particularly in resource poor settings). Read the full letter here

Things about mental health...
The Royal Colleges of GPs (RCGP), Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH), and Psychiatrists (RCPsych) have committed to five shared principles that they hope will lead to tangible actions to improve the care and support of children and young people (CYP) with mental health problems.
Following the development of the joint principles, the three Colleges have committed to a number of ongoing actions. These include ensuring the highest quality training and standards in CYP mental health; supporting the development of evidence based models of care that are focused on integration of care; and calling for greater investment and resources to be focused on developing services in CYP friendly settings that promote early intervention and resilience.

Things about patient flow...
Technology to track beds, equipment, staff and patients through a hospital has been used in the USA for years, with positive effect, and now there is growing interest in employing it in the NHS. Sophie Castle-Clarke (Nuffield Trust) joined a group of NHS leaders to look at how this technology has made a difference to flow and operational management in two different health care organisations in Florida. The results are impressive, although significant transformation is needed to realise the benefits.

Things about tobacco...
Several Member States in the WHO European Region are moving towards becoming tobacco-free: a smoking prevalence of 5% or less. Emphasis, in particular, is on protecting younger generations from smoking initiation and other tobacco-related harm. Protecting children from tobacco in the Region is essential, not only because smoking initiation is a key component of an important public health crisis, but also because Member States are responsible for supporting various children’s rights. This report highlights ongoing and emerging tobacco-related issues that affect children in the Region and examines the regulatory frameworks, commitments and other tools that Member States should use to protect children from tobacco. This also includes more novel approaches that could – and should – be used to pave the way towards a tobacco-free European Region.

Things about brisk walking...
You will have heard in the news this week about the added health benefits of a 10 min brisk walk...this was an update in 'Everybody active, every day: a framework to embed physical activity into daily life' first published in 2014. You can read all the evidence and associated documents from links on this page 


Things gluten-free...

(C) Gill Kaye 2017

We had our annual big family reunion picnic last Sunday at the lovely Charlecote Park (equidistant between Tunbridge Wells, Marlborough, Grantham, Stafford and Sheffield...the relations who live in Warwick had the quickest journey!). As one of my food contributions I made a sun-dried tomato 'bread' which was much appreciated by everyone - not just those GF.

Things in the library 30 Sept...

Things about ears...
A recent article in Evidence Based Medicine gives a commentary on  Venekamp RP, 'Antibiotics for acute otitis media in children'. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2015. The EBM commentary  states that . "Data demonstrate that the majority of AOM which undergoes expectant observation will improve, and that antibiotics have benefits that are higher among children with otorrhoea or aged <2 years. This systematic review does not provide insight into the potential prognostication of fever, laterality or other measures of severity."

Things about eggs and peanuts...
Research news in the BMJ considered a systematic review published in JAMA which says "Introducing eggs or peanuts early into infants’ diet is associated with a lower risk of developing egg or peanut allergy" 





Things about school nurses...
A report 'Nursing in Schools' from the National Children's Bureau says that "The confidence of school nurses to provide essential support to children with long-term health conditions like diabetes and asthma risks being undermined by high work loads and having to work across numerous schools."  The research also indicated a lack of understanding amongst parents about the role of the school nurse, and that poor communication with parents was a barrier to them supporting children.

Things about neonates...
Monitoring the standard of care provided by specialist neonatal units is essential to inform efforts to give all babies the best possible chance of surviving and reaching their full potential. The monitoring is achieved through the National Neonatal Audit Programme (NNAP), which encourages individual neonatal units and regional networks to deliver the very highest levels of care to babies and families by reporting their outcomes against standards described by professional organisations. The annual report on the 2015 data has just been published

Things about Journal Club...

By EriKolaborator - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0,
commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=30088978

For reasons we don't quite understand there have been a few tumbleweed sessions recently which is unusual and disappointing for all those that put the effort into organising and preparing presentations. Due to the low attendance Sarah has sadly taken the decision to suspend the current season of journal club after the presentation of 20th October 8-9 am. She says "Journal club cannot run without presenters and whilst I am happy to advertise sessions, oversee the presentations and provide the homemade muffins and drinks I cannot present the papers as well.  This needs YOU and your colleagues!"

She is planning a relaunch in the new year and would appreciate any comments you have to make as to what may make it easier for people to attend, the process, the days etc and if anyone would like to provisionally volunteer that would be very welcome!

Things about Clinical commissioning...
NHS Clinical Commissioners has launched a new publication to support CCGs in making difficult decisions about prioritisation of resources and changes to local services. This comes at a time when the NHS is going through a period of major change to achieve long-term sustainability and transformation making potentially hard choices increasingly inevitable.
Produced in collaboration with the University of Birmingham, ‘Making Difficult Decisions’ sets out factors that can enable CCGs to successfully command the confidence of the public, patients, local politicians and other key stakeholders when making changes. It draws on both academic research and practical insight from commissioners, patient groups and NHS England.

Things to make...
If you will miss the home-bakes in Journal Club then here is the recipe for one of the favourites - Cheese onion and olive scones.

Things in the library 27 May

If you are having a break from work next week have a lovely time...

if not we will be here Tuesday to Friday next week 

8:45 - 19:00 Tues and Thurs and 8:45 - 17:00 on Wed and Fri

Things for NHS staff ...
NHS staff now have access to Cochrane Clinical Answers. this covers 32 Clinical Specialties and provides a readable, digestible, clinically focused entry point to rigorous research from Cochrane systematic reviews. They are designed to be actionable and to inform decision making at the point of care. Each Cochrane Clinical Answer contains a clinical question, a short answer, and an opportunity to ‘drill down’ to the evidence from the Cochrane Review. The evidence is displayed in a user friendly format, mixing narrative, numbers and graphics. The target audience for Cochrane Clinical Answers is healthcare practitioners and professionals, and other informed health care decision-makers.


Things about Crohn's disease...
A updated NICE guideline was published in May. This guideline covers the management of Crohn’s disease in children, young people and adults. It aims to reduce people’s symptoms and maintain or improve their quality of life. In May 2016, a new recommendation on inducing remission was added.

Things about clinical research...
The National Institute for Health Research and Leeds University have teamed up to offer a free online course titled “Improving Healthcare through Clinical Research”.  The course starts on 6th June and runs for 6 weeks and is open to anyone interested in this subject area.

Things about psychosis and schizophrenia in children... 
Another NICE guideline updated. This guideline covers recognising and managing psychosis and schizophrenia in children and young people. It aims to improve early recognition of psychosis and schizophrenia so that children and young people can be offered the treatment and care they need to live with the condition.
In May 2016, a new recommendation was added on providing information about olanzapine when choosing antipsychotic medication for children and young people with a first episode of psychosis.

Things about gardens...

Chelsea flower show is this week the theme of this year's show is the health and well-being benefits of greening-up our grey spaces The King's Fund have published a report Gardens and health: implications for policy and practice. The Greening Grey Britain is an RHS call to action to get the nation to transform hard, cold grey areas into planted-up beautiful places, to improve lives and help the environment. It is good to see that the Garden for Yorkshire inspired by the medieval Great East Window at York Minster won a Silver medal - stone masons from the Minster were working on the project.

Things for people with allergies...

The Chelsea Flower Show includes an exhibit by The Royal College of Pathologists which highlights the importance of the link between plant pollen and allergic disorders such as seasonal allergic rhinitis and allergic asthma. The exhibit,  focussing on low allergen plants, enables those with respiratory allergy to enjoy being in the garden, whilst reducing their triggers and managing their symptoms more effectively. The low allergy garden includes Papaver, Hosta, Trachelospermum, jasminoides, Rosemary and Thyme

Things about suicide...

Bereavement, bullying, exams and physical health conditions such as acne and asthma are some of the experiences linked to suicide in children and young people according to a new report by The University of Manchester’s National Confidential Inquiry into Suicide and Homicide by People with Mental Illness (NCISH). The full report can be downloaded here. This is the first time there has been a national study of suicide in children and young people in England on this scale.
The researchers found that 28% of the young people who died had been bereaved, in 13% there had been a suicide by a family member or friend. 36% had a physical health condition such as acne or asthma, and 29% were facing exams or exam results when they died. Four died on the day of an exam, or the day after.

Things for half-term... 
Lots of ideas of things to go to in the local area if you have children at home next week.






Things partly about food..
I am off to Denmark soon to take part in the opening of a memorial to commemorate all those that lost their lives in the Battle of Jutland 100 years ago. Hoping to sample lots of fish and also real Danish pastries! If you fancy trying some new Nordic cuisine and having a bit of a Masterchef moment over the long weekend why not try some of the recipes here...duck with chocolate and cranberries sounds wonderful.

Things in the library 23 October

Things to come to ...Journal Club
Wednesday 28th October 17:30 to 18:30. Muffins... and the paper being presented and discussed is "Does prompt treatment of urinary tract infection in preschool children prevent renal scarring.". Journal Club is a fun, informal way to discuss, share  and learn..and eat muffins. All SCH clinical staff welcome.



Things about childhood
This is the Children's Commissioner's recent address to the  LGA's National Children and Adult Services Conference on Changing childhoods - Changing the odds - Changing the future



Things to wear
British Legion Remembrance Poppies will be on sale in the library from Monday 26 October. We have the normal paper poppies and a couple of fabric ones but no metal badges.




Things about young peoples mental health
‘You should only have to tell your story once, to someone who is dedicated to helping you, and you shouldn't have to repeat it to lots of different people' so a ‘passport’ style brief of key facts that children and young people using mental health services can use to help them avoid repeating their history and preferences was launched last week
The ‘passport’ idea, which includes clinical information as well as key personal preferences, has been developed by young people, parents and carers and can now be used across care settings either on paper or on mobile phones. More information here



Things about peanuts
This consensus communication was released in August on  'Early Peanut Introduction and the Prevention of Peanut Allergy in High-Risk Infants'



Things about decreased conciousness
A nationally developed evidence-based guideline on 'The management of children and young people with an acute decrease in concious level'  has been updated by The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health


Things with a great cover

One of the recent books we bought has a cover that always makes me smile it is 'Blind Spots - why we fail to do what's right and what to do about it'. All about  human behaviour and ethics in our workplaces, institutions and everyday lives.

You can always see the latest items we have added to the ;library on our  catalogue
               



Things to do for half-term
Lots of things to do with little ones in Sheffield area listed on this site


Things to make (with the kids?)

I made some lovely biscuits last week using this basic recipe and there are specific suggestions of ones to make with children in this guide . It's really nice to experiment by adding different ingredients - my chocolate and dried cherry ones went very quickly!