May: A time of celebration and sober reflection

Dear colleagues

I wanted to update you on two important events happening in the last few weeks.

The first was the memorial event for Dr Ann McPherson, a founding member of the AHG and a former Chair; held at Oxford May 8^th.. Echoing the moving commemoration of her life’s work held  a year ago, the day was both inspiring and sobering as the audience mourned her passing but also gave thanks for her limitless achievements.

Clare Gerada gave the closing address-available  through the weekly Chair’s blog released 11/5/12 entitled ‘A spring in my step’  @ www.news@email.rcgp.org.uk

which is well worth a read and a pause for thought.

 

The second event is the series of papers on Adolescent Health, published in the Lancet, April 25^th.

They are an excellent resource for those of us who recognize that young people the world over have been given a poor deal and they outline the evidence with regard to why this is so detrimental for young people both now and in the future.

The Lancet home page currently links to a podcast of Prof Michel Marmot, a co-author of one of the series, who calls the increasing rates of unemployment for young people    ‘a public health emergency’. With increasing numbers of young people ‘not in education, employment or training’ (NEET) we are seeing an increase in poor mental health, suicide and abuse of drugs and alcohol.

This should surely be unacceptable in one of the richest countries of the world ?

Do visit the series and check out the podcast.

With best wishes

Jane

The ‘F’ words : funding and figures, and Foundation (Nuffield)

I was interviewed by BBC York  on Thursday 22^nd as part of a special feature they are broadcasting  throughout the week beginning 26^th March on children and young people’s  health. The news research editor had contacted the RCGP & I was asked if I would speak about what GPs can offer and what we would like to see available.

Amongst other questions the interviewer asked my opinion on the ‘F’ word: referring to funding-for which there is patently an inadequate reserve; and also figures.

I was keen to quote the Key Data  on Adolescence produced by the AYPH and published in November 2011  which draws public attention to the paucity of data on the prevalence and incidence of psychological problems and mental ill-health in adolescence. On p92 the authors ‘regret the decision of the Coalition government to postpone’  the repeat of the national community survey which had been conducted in 2000 and 2005 and was planned for 2010.   

This is disappointing and a retrograde step as without more data we simply do not know the full extent of the problem nor the impact of initiatives to address emotional distress in adolescence.

On a more positive note I was delighted to receive a copy in the post of the Nuffield Foundation’s latest publication: Changing Adolescence: Social Trends and Mental Health, edited by  Dr Ann Hagell. This important and timely book brings together the main findings from the Nuffield Foundation’s Changing Adolescent Programme and explores how social change may affect young people’s behaviour, mental health   and transitions towards adulthood .

The briefing papers which summarise the programme reviews are available from

http://www.nuffieldfoundation.org

I commend the project and the book to those wanting to understand more about the complex relationship between the contemporary social context in which young people grow and develop and their emotional and physical well-being.

Many of us are looking forward to the AYPH annual research conference in Cardiff on Tues 27^th March. It looks set to be a great day.I will be blogging on the highlights of the event shortly. Until then

Yours

Jane Roberts

Bring on the New Year

The New Year has begin with a note of ‘good news’-the arrest and imprisonment of   two of Stephen Lawrence’s killers-finally brought to justice.

Please see the February edition of BJGP for an extended commentary: ‘Viewpoint’  on the issue of racism in British society and its impact on health. The issue of the inequitable way in which  the stop and search approach is being employed has once again been brought to the fore: young black men are 6x as likely to be stopped than white counterparts (1).

2012 represents a year of challenge for all of us who recognize that not only are young people our future but that promoting their good health NOW matters to us all.

There is much we can do in general practice around building trusting relationships with young people and finding out from them how we can support their own journey   as they make their own decisions about their lives. Talking to them about what matters in their world rather than what we think is important is a very  good start.

If you are looking for ideas as to what changes you might make in your own practice in 2012 then the  AYPH March event might be just what you need:

 Improving young people's health outcomes - Research into practice 

http://www.youngpeopleshealth.org.uk

This one day event on March 27^th is aimed at practitioners and  researchers from across the UK who have an interest in young people's health. It will provide delegates with an opportunity to share their experiences of healthcare research as well as promoting innovative approaches for practice.

Young people will play a key role  and hopefully will keep us focused and energized on the things that matter. The RCGP Adolescent Health Group alongside the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, the Welsh Government and DECIPHer are co-hosting the event.

Do join us!

If anyone reading this blog  is interested in knowing more about the group please contact myself or Hannah Price

hannah.price@rcgp.org.uk

Happy New Year to all

Jane

 jane.roberts@sunderland.ac.uk

http://www.equalityhumanrights.com/uploaded_files/raceinbritain/ehrc_stop_and_search_report.pdf

The demonization of young people : a national pastime?

On 3rd Nov Barnardos released the results of a piece of work they had undertaken asking members of the general population how they viewed young people :

49% saw  young people as ‘angry, violent and abusive’

This same group of pollsters see children as ‘feral’, ‘behaving like animals’.

[URL : http://www.barnardos.org.uk/news_and_events/media_centre/press_releases.htm?ref=74051]

Presumably these are not the same children, presumed to be around 175,000 who are the carer of  a parent living with a long term illness disability....

Or maybe they are the 1 in 3 children and young people who grow up in poverty, or exposed to domestic violence , or live with parents who are substance dependent.....

Either way, many Britains have neither respect nor compassion for the reality of many children and young people’s lives. It is ‘a scandal’ that these views are so commonplace. It is why the 1 million aged between 16-24 years who are unemployed are held responsible for an economic situation, and government policy which is not of their making.

And where is the fanfare for the young people who marched 400 miles from Jarrow to Tottenham to highlight the situation of the jobless youth in England? They marched for five weeks to raise the profile of unemployment in contemporary Britain, a situation which could be ameliorated by different economic decisions and   a change in the legislation supporting small business to recruit school-leavers.

This country’s disregard for young people's well-being , both now and in the future is a national scandal.

Keep abreast of regular bulletins by registering with The Child and Maternal Health Observatory

http://www.chimat.org.uk/resource/item.aspx?RID=116634

or check out the blog!

Yours

Jane Roberts

Reflections post RCGP Conference, Liverpool, October 2011

A truly energizing 2 days with the highest quality plenary speakers and plenty of interesting  parallel sessions to attend. There was a strong theme of generalism and a return to putting the ‘caritas’ alongside the science-maybe even before, but certainly not as an after thought. Clare Gerada showed true leadership and was awarded with a standing ovation for her rousing address . Liverpool is my birth town and it always feels deeply nostalgic to revisit. The people of the city are unfailing, if irreverent,  in their warm welcome and sharp humour!

Adolescent Health appeared like a fire fly and we must build on those sparks to ignite a fire at next year’s conference . Richard Horton, editor of the Lancet (no less!) referred to Adolescent Health as “the new critical discipline”. There is a global movement gaining a groundswell and we need to make sure we are part of this movement.

Whilst we were holding our own symposium on adolescent mental health in primary care at the RCPCH on Friday 14^th October, the International Declaration on Youth Mental Health was launched in Dublin. Please see the link below for more details. Thanks to Dr David Shiers for linking us into this wider movement.

http://www.inspireireland.ie/international-declaration-on-youth-mental-health-launched/

Clare Gerada pledged her support to the group at the Moral Maze panel and both Hamish Meldrum,Chairman of Council, BMA and Prof Michael Rawlins, Chairman of NICE admitted that young people have been short changed by a system which operates on a disease silo structure and which does not always recognize the  particular needs of adolescents . Dr Meldrum was less inclined to consider young people as a ‘special group’ but one with particular needs. Prof Rawlins  conceded that we have not always done the best for them. We aim to move the agenda forward .

Please note the dates for next years’s RCGP annual conference: October 4-6^th  2012, Glasgow. Planning  for the meeting starts now and we hope to have a significant presence at the event. If you have a particular idea please contact me to discuss.

With best wishes

Jane