Paediatric Update 2026

Below are some useful website when giving parents advice.

Spotting the Sick Child is a practical, clinically focused session designed to help healthcare professionals recognise when a child is seriously unwell. Professor Sam Thenabadu will explore the early signs of deterioration, structured paediatric assessment, important red flags and the clinical features that should prompt urgent escalation. The session aims to strengthen confidence in distinguishing the child with a self-limiting illness from the child who may require urgent or emergency intervention.

This interactive session, led by Dr Sam Thenabadu, Consultant in Adult and Paediatric Emergency Medicine, provides a structured and pragmatic approach to recognising serious illness in children. It explores red flags, developmental assessment, effective communication with both children and parents, and safe examination techniques. Delegates will gain confidence in early recognition, escalation, and management of the unwell child across urgent and primary care settings

The session reflects Dr Stewart’s presentation, which covers the clinical features of concussion, physical/cognitive/emotional/sleep symptoms, paediatric assessment, return to school and sport, and the particular considerations associated with recurrent concussion.

Head injuries and concussion are common presentations in paediatric emergency and primary care settings. This interactive session, led by Dr Charles Stewart, explores the clinical approach to assessing paediatric head injuries, differentiating between minor and serious cases, and recognising when urgent imaging or referral is required. The session reviews current NICE head injury guidance, concussion management principles, and essential safety-netting advice for parents and carers.
Participants will gain practical insights into clinical decision-making, documentation, and post-concussion care to support safer practice and improved outcomes for children.

This session aims to equip clinicians working in primary and urgent care with a structured, evidence-based approach to assessing the limping child. The session explores differentiating benign, self-limiting conditions from serious pathology, ensuring safe, timely decision-making and appropriate escalation.

Skin conditions are a common presentation in children, but distinguishing a self-limiting rash from a potentially serious condition can be challenging, particularly when presentations vary across different skin tones.

In this practical clinical update, Dr Varun Kumar, GP Registrar with a special interest in dermatology, will explore the assessment of common paediatric skin presentations and the important dermatological red flags that should not be missed. The session will consider morphology, distribution and associated symptoms, alongside the wider clinical picture to determine whether a child is systemically well or requires further assessment.

Particular attention will be given to recognising skin conditions in children with darker skin tones, where erythema, inflammation and other clinical signs may appear differently and can contribute to delayed or missed diagnosis.

Using clinical examples and images, the session will help participants develop a structured approach to recognition, initial management, safety-netting and appropriate referral or escalation of skin conditions in children.

This recording from a recent webinar by a paediatric consultant discusses the link between food intolerances and eczema in children.

Skin conditions are a common presentation in children, but distinguishing a self-limiting rash from a potentially serious condition can be challenging, particularly when presentations vary across different skin tones.

In this practical clinical update, Dr Varun Kumar, GP Registrar with a special interest in dermatology, will explore the assessment of common paediatric skin presentations and the important dermatological red flags that should not be missed. The session will consider morphology, distribution and associated symptoms, alongside the wider clinical picture to determine whether a child is systemically well or requires further assessment.

Particular attention will be given to recognising skin conditions in children with darker skin tones, where erythema, inflammation and other clinical signs may appear differently and can contribute to delayed or missed diagnosis.

Using clinical examples and images, the session will help participants develop a structured approach to recognition, initial management, safety-netting and appropriate referral or escalation of skin conditions in children.

This session focuses on the assessment and management of fever in children in primary and urgent care settings. It will provide an overview of the physiology of fever, common causes, and evidence-based guidelines for clinical management. Participants will learn how to recognize red flags, differentiate between viral and bacterial infections, and apply a structured approach to history taking and examination. The session also emphasizes clinical decision-making, appropriate treatment strategies, and safety-netting advice for parents and caregivers, referencing the latest UK guidelines, including NICE NG143.