Intended for healthcare professionals

Book Book

The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health at the Millennium

BMJ 2000; 321 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.321.7273.1417/a (Published 02 December 2000) Cite this as: BMJ 2000;321:1417
  1. David Brewster, clinical dean
  1. Northern Territory Clinical School, Flinders University, Australia

    J Osborne

    BMJ Books, £50

    ISBN 0 7279 1434 0

    Rating:Embedded ImageEmbedded ImageEmbedded Image

    The British Paediatric Association was founded in 1928 by a Canadian, Donald Patterson. The aim of the association was the advancement of the study of paediatrics and the promotion of friendship among paediatricians. Only six of the 24 invited paediatricians attended the inaugural meeting, and the association had very little influence on political decisions in its early days.


    Embedded Image

    Despite this inauspicious beginning, the association has had a distinguished history. This book includes portraits of such paediatric luminaries as Sir George Still, Sir James Spence, Sir Peter Tizzard, Dr Donald Winnicott, Baroness June Lloyd, Sir David Hull, Sir Roy Meadow, and Professor David Baum. Paediatrics in Britain has changed dramatically over the past 72 years, and this book provides a succinct summary of the accomplishments of the key players while also outlining developments in paediatric specialty practice.

    In 1996 the British Paediatric Association was replaced by the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health. Although the move to an independent college was not without controversy, one of the main motivating factors was the need for a body with better advocacy for child health. Ironically, for much the same reason, the Australian College of Paediatrics has recently moved in the opposite direction by rejoining the Royal Australasian College of Physicians. It will be interesting to see which model turns out to be most successful in an advocacy role for children.

    In view of the important changes in paediatrics during the history of the British Paediatric Association, I was expecting a book on the college at the millennium to involve more gazing into a crystal ball.

    Perhaps the main disappointment with this book is its lack of vision for the future, with only a very short chapter on looking forward. However, the new strategies of the college do indicate some of the issues that are likely to loom large in the future for paediatricians. These include workforce numbers and distribution, assessment of quality of performance, advocacy for the effects of poverty on children's health, and an annual report on the health of the nation's children (perhaps similar to Unicef's State of the World's Children at www.unicef.org/sowc00).

    Sadly, the strategy on international child health makes no mention of the appalling disparities in paediatric practice and child health between Europe and Africa. Surely this is going to be a key issue for colleges of paediatrics and child health in this millennium.

    Log in

    Log in through your institution

    Subscribe

    * For online subscription