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

Host teams

Annual meeting

1997-2006

2007-2016

2017-2026

Belfast

2001

2013

 

Birmingham

2002

2014

 

Bristol

 

2009

2019

Cambridge

 

2016

 

Derby

 

2015=

 

Dublin

 

2011

 

Edinburgh

 

2007

2020

Glasgow

2003

 

2017

Leeds

2006

 

 

Leicester

 

2015=

 

Liverpool

1997

2008

2023

London Barts

2005

 

 

London GOSH

1999

 

2018

Manchester

2000

2010

 

Nottingham

2004

2015=

 

Plymouth

 

 

2022=

Sheffield

1998

2012

 

Southampton

 

 

2021

Truro

 

 

2022=

= joint hosts

 

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