The Fifth King’s John Price Paediatric Respiratory Conference was delighted to open on Tuesday 2nd April with ten whole-day hands-on pre-conference masterclasses, as well as celebrating the fifth year of the conference with an Opening Ceremony and welcome drinks. Set in the resplendent backdrop of Bush House, formerly the home of the BBC World Service, and opened two weeks ago by the Queen and the Duchess of Cambridge as part of the King’s College London Strand Campus development, the pre-conference masterclasses welcomed delegates to enjoy small group sessions of their choice. Masterclasses included:
- Psychosocial Workshop in Paediatric Respiratory Care
- Paediatric/Young Adult Asthma Training
- Paediatric Sleep
- Thoracic Ultrasound and Guided Drain Insertion
- Paediatric Dysfunctional Breathing: Diagnosis to Discharge
- Interpreting Oximetry in Children: Controversies and Consensus – New Dimensions to Explore
- Measuring Spirometry in Children
- Acute NIV
- Stabilisation of the Acutely Unwell Child
- Chronic Lung Disease of Prematurity – Challenges Today and Tomorrow
The masterclasses were run by experts from all walks of healthcare; from doctors and nurses to specialist physiotherapists, social workers and radiographers, facilitating an atmosphere of cross-competency learning throughout the day. For a summary of the learning from the masterclasses, click here.
Delegates also had ample time to mingle and network with one another and with the conference exhibitors, and to share their insights throughout the day on social media, including Twitter and the specialist conference app.
Delegates were impressed by the informal nature of the workshops, which facilitated real group discussion and feedback, as well as the many practical sessions across the masterclasses – from stabilisation of the unwell child simulation to ultrasound guided chest drain insertion to interactive cases and quizzes. The benefit of the small masterclass sizes lies in the ability of the group leaders to really engage with delegates in a way that is rarely possible in large lecture theatres. The conference team are grateful to each and every one of the professionals who came to share their time and expertise in our well-crafted masterclass programme today.
At the end of the day, the delegates came back together to celebrate the Opening Ceremony of the main conference. Welcome drinks were served alongside five talks from faculty joining us from across the globe. This year, the Opening Ceremony was themed ‘Science and Story,’ and provided speakers with the opportunity to explore their medical storytelling in order to consolidate knowledge and educate. Delegates were introduced to the neuropsychiatric effects of montelukast treatment; how to build bridges in asthma care to facilitate the best co-operation between clinician, family and patient possible; and about the disappearance of the headbox! A poignant talk on the importance of recognising and apologising for mistakes when they are made was greatly appreciated by many delegates.
The day rounded off with an informal poster walk where delegates had the opportunity to take in the fantastic posters that were submitted by those working in paediatric respiratory care from across the country – and, indeed, the world! 20 of these posters submitted by medical students or early career researchers have been awarded conference prizes.
The pre-conference masterclasses and Opening Ceremony have been a fantastic way to kick off the Fifth King’s John Price Paediatric Respiratory Conference, and the team is looking forward to welcoming more delegates tomorrow for our main programme.
For those who were unable to join us today, there is a wealth of social media updates available on our Twitter page @LondonPaedResp or by searching for our conference hashtag ‘#paedresp2019’.
Recent Comments