Paediatric Pain Travelling Club

The Paediatric Pain Travelling Club (PPTC) is the special interest group of multidisciplinary healthcare professionals and academics who specialise in the management of paediatric pain in the UK.

The inaugural meeting of the PPTC was hosted by Dr Mary Cunliffe in 1997 at Alder Hey in Liverpool. Attended by paediatric anaesthetists and pain nurses from the six existing Paediatric Acute Pain teams, the purpose was to network and brainstorm the shared clinical issues in the developing field of paediatric pain services.  Continuing with the same purpose, the PPTC membership has increased to more than 250 clinical and academic staff from 65 sites across the UK and Ireland, with associate members from Portugal and New Zealand.

Annual meetings are hosted by different member teams, which explains why this is a travelling club.  This year’s meeting was hosted by the pain team at Great Ormond Street Hospital in April and a copy of the programme (hyperlink) gives a flavour of the topics that are presented and discussed.  The next meeting will be hosted by the pain team at Bristol Children’s Hospital. Further details will follow in early 2019.

Host teams of the PPTC Annual Meeting

PPTC members also contribute to an active email forum where information, advice and opinion on clinical issues is sought and shared by participants.  In 2018, this forum facilitated a survey of PPTC members to inform the APAGBI debate with the MHRA regarding the usage of tramadol in paediatric patients in the UK and the consequent impact that restricting its availability may have.

Anyone interested in joining the PPTC can email jennie.craske@alderhey.nhs.uk