Child Health Tuesday – weekly email bulletin
| Every week we circulate a round-up of information we have been asked to distribute to our members, along with any other items of interest to share with you.
Contact us via the email address below if you have any items to request for inclusion, using the subject line ‘Child Health Tuesday’.
Email us: nencicb.northernchildnetwork@nhs.net Find us on LinkedIn and Bluesky
If you have been forwarded this email, join the Network now to receive future bulletins directly to your inbox.
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Reducing antibiotic use and signposting parents to the Healthier Together app for advice Children often get common illnesses like coughs, sore throats, and earaches – especially at school or nursery. These are usually caused by viruses, not bacteria, and most children, with a healthy immune system and up to date vaccinations, will get better on their own with rest, fluids, and care at home without needing antibiotics. Using antibiotics too often can lead to antibiotic resistance. This means that in the future, they might not work as well when they’re really needed for more serious infections. The North East and North Cumbria ICB Little Bug Busters campaign signposts parents and carers to download the Healthier Together app, for medical advice and help, to learn how to manage everyday childhood illnesses without relying on antibiotics. Campaign Aims
The Little Bug Busters toolkit provides content aimed at parents and carers and is designed for sharing across NHS partner social media and other communication channels.
Download the online toolkit here
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Network Huddle: Tackling school-based anxiety – a whole school approach
Monday 24th November, 4-6pm, online
There has been an increase in children and young people experiencing difficulties attending education due to school-based anxiety, something that has been more apparent as a result of the Covid pandemic.
This huddle will explore examples of good practice and lessons learnt from the ‘Anxious about School’ project in County Durham which had the voice of children and families at the heart of the project. ‘Anxious about School’ prioritised a whole school approach to meet the needs of young people, parents and carers, and to upskill school staff to support the needs of their families.
The huddle will provide opportunities for discussion and reflection and consider ways in which adults as professionals can meaningfully involve children and young people in ongoing dialogue that results in change with greater outcomes for children, families and the wider services they work with.
This session has been scheduled after the end of the school day to enable teachers and other school staff to attend.
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Healthier Together Lunch & Learn: Winter Respiratory Tract Infections – coughs, colds and everything in between
Thursday 27th November, 1-2pm, online
Our Healthier Together team is hosting a Lunch & Learn webinar to support winter readiness across the system. Dr Emma Lim, one of our Healthier Together Clinical Leads, will present an engaging session sharing top tips about upper and lower respiratory tract infections which are particularly prevalent at this time of year.
GPs, practice nurses, health visitors and school nurses are particularly encouraged to join to find out the best course of action for children presenting with coughs and colds.
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This World Children’s Day, Centre for Population Health & Children North East present:
Population Health: The Strongest Start
Thursday 20th November, 9.30am-4.30pm Newcastle United Football Club, Strawberry Place, NE1 4ST
This is a conference to enable conversations and connections, build knowledge, share inspiration and drive action to shape better lives for babies, children and young people.
Attendees will benefit from:
Whatever your sector, organisation or role – you have an important part to play in driving change for better. Everyone is welcome.
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National guidance for the management of children in hospital with viral respiratory tract infections
These updated recommendations by RCPCH on the management of children in hospital with viral respiratory tract infections in hospital settings are for clinicians to support planning in partnership with local infection prevention control teams. This guidance is supported by the Infection Prevention Society.
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Research Project: Digital Influence and Masculinity: the impacts of digital environments on vulnerable young men’s wellbeing and empowerment
We would like to invite you to be part of our online NortHFutures research project investigating experiences with the culture of digital influence and the impact it has on our lives
Who are we? We are researchers at Durham University and Gladstone Terrace Centre for Young People, interested in exploring how young people, particularly young men, navigate the complexity of their online experiences.
The value of your contribution By taking part in this project, you will make a meaningful contribution to improving young people’s wellbeing and online experiences.
Your insights will help us to:
We are hosting online focus groups in December: Tuesday 2nd December – 5pm to 7pm Tuesday 9th December – 5pm to 7pm Tuesday 16th December – 5pm to 7pm
Your participation will result in: Positive contribution to the research and safety of the lives of young men and younger people more broadly. £25 voucher to say thank you
Please sign up to one of the dates via this link. Please get in touch with Rhoda on rhoda@gladstoneterracecentre.org for further information.
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Under 16 Cancer Patient Experience Survey 2024 results webinar
Wednesday 26th November, 9.30–11am
The Under 16 Cancer Patient Experience Survey (U16 CPES) 2024 results will be published in early November.
Join us for this webinar if you are interested in hearing more about the national quantitative and qualitative results from the 2024 survey.
An agenda will be shared closer to the time.
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Mortal Fools Ensemble Young Company Presents – two new film shorts
This is what it feels like…..& (dis)connected
Across May – August 2025, our Ensemble Young Company set out to create two short films tackling some of the barriers young people face today. Filmed entirely on an iPhone (a creative challenge in itself), the films are intended to start conversations with young people about Anxiety and relationships with adults.
Communicating feelings and needs can be challenging for many people. For teenagers, things can feel even trickier….The films were co-created by Northumberland teenagers with professional artists and theatre-makers and they feature the lived experiences, insights, and creative exploration of those young people at that time – woven together with characters, storylines, and original music.
We’ve also created a FREE downloadable Resource Pack to accompany the films for youth workers, educators, community group leaders, parents & carers, and young people’s practitioners/youth theatre leaders. Let the films and activities spark curiosity and conversation….. (If you watch them or use them with a young people’s group – let us know!)
Watch the films and download the resource pack
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The Art of Recovery symposium
Thursday 8th January 2026, 9am-5pm Northern School of Contemporary Dance, 98 Chapeltown Road, Leeds, LS7 4BH
This symposium will explore the interface between creative health, movement and dance practice and production.
The symposium is an opportunity for dance and movement practitioners, arts therapists, academics and students to deepen knowledge, discuss practice, share ideas and network together. To investigate the unique offer dance/movement brings to Creative Health practice and production.
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NENC Staff Mental Health and Wellbeing Hub
Quick, Free & Confidential Support for You!
Free, confidential support for all health and social care staff across the North East and North Cumbria. We aim to offer you an initial appointment within seven working days, followed by up to three additional brief therapy or support sessions. All with no waiting lists! Most sessions are via videocall or telephone, at times that work for you.
Whether you’re facing challenges at work, at home, or both, we’re here to help. Our experienced NHS clinicians are ready to listen and support you with flexible, timely appointments.
Getting help is simple:
Click here and self-refer online with our confidential brief form Email us: hubstheword@cntw.nhs.uk Leave us a confidential voicemail: 0191 223 2030
Don’t wait. Reach out today!
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Wellbeing resource on Boost website
A free health and wellbeing offer is available on the Boost platform for all staff and volunteers across the North East and North Cumbria. It includes resources for emotional, physical, and financial wellbeing, plus resilience tools and useful apps. You can also explore support for organisational change. Perhaps start with the ‘Emotional Wellbeing’ section for quick tools you can use today.
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The following messages have been circulated by the Children and Young People’s Transformation Programme team for information and action where appropriate.
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The 2025/2026 NHS Young Researcher surveys are now LIVE!
Who are the NHS Young Researchers? As part of the NHS Youth Forum, the NHS Young Researchers are a group of 16–25 year olds who lead on research projects exploring the key healthcare challenges of their generation. This includes developing surveys, which aim to gather the views and experiences of young people from across the country.
Working in partnership with NHSE and Barnardo’s, the Researchers will evaluate the findings and recommend interventions to improve care and outcomes. For more information, click this link
Please find the links for the surveys below to share with services and young people in your networks. If you have any questions, please contact the NHS Youth Forum inbox – NHSYouthForum@barnardos.org.uk
What are the surveys about?
This year, the projects focus on the 3 big shifts in the 10 Year Health Plan.
Analogue to Digital: Where do young people get their health information from? How do health information sources affect young people’s health decisions?
Sickness to Prevention: What are the barriers to young people accessing initial care? Do young people feel listened to by health services?
Hospital to Community: What are people’s experience of community health care services?
We really hope you can spread these surveys. The care and time taken by the young people to create them has been amazing and their passion to create change is felt throughout these pieces of work!
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Join the Network now to become part of it!
Published: November 17