British Paediatric Surveillance Unit team

Formed in 1986, the BPSU is a activity supported by Public Health England, UCL Institute of Child Health and the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health.

The unit aims to:

facilitate research into uncommon childhood infections and disorders for the advancement of knowledge and to effect practical improvement in prevention, treatment and service planning
allow paediatricians to participate in surveillance of uncommon disorders and to lessen the burden on reporting doctors of such requests arising from numerous different sources
increase awareness within the medical profession and public of the less common disorders studied and respond rapidly to public health emergencies
collaborate with our link surveillance units in the UK and across the world.

Phone: +44 (0)20 7092 6173/74

Email: bpsu@rcpch.ac.uk

Recent content

Basic page

BPSU new data collection platform

The BPSU office is working with the University of Dundee Health Informatics Centre to develop a new data collection platform to collect data on rare diseases, making it easier for clinicians registered on the BPSU reporting scheme to report cases and complete their clinical questionnaires. This ...

BPSU

Research

Basic page

BPSU study - Neonatal stroke presenting/diagnosed in the first 90 days of life

The study is led by Tizard bursary winner Dr T’ng Kwok and will provide a current description of neonatal stroke including the associated factors, management and outcomes. By exploring how babies with neonatal stroke present and are cared for, future studies looking at prevention and new treatment o...

BPSU

Research

Document

BPSU-PHE Symposia series: COVID-19 from a Paediatric Perspective – recordings

More than 2,000 people joined one or both of these free events in late April 2021. Discussions covered the impact of COVID-19 on pregnancy, neonates and general paediatric populations and the rare syndrome, PIMS, as well as the wider impact of the pandemic on child health. If you missed the opportun...

BPSU

Rare disease

Public health

News

We're hosting a free two-day symposia on COVID-19 from a paediatric perspective

1 April 2021

The British Paediatric Surveillance Unit in collaboration with Public Health England are to commence a series of webinars accessible by all. Registration is free for both days, more details on how to sign up can be found below.

News

Richard Lynn to step down from BPSU with more than three decades of service

16 February 2021

After 31 years of dedicated service as the British Paediatric Surveillance Unit’s (BPSU) Scientific Coordinator, Richard Lynn will be leaving the BPSU at the end of March. Richard’s unparalleled commitment to the BPSU and rare disease epidemiology has been integral to the Unit’s continued success.

Basic page

BPSU study - Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID)

Surveillance of Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID) is due to commence in March 2021. In conjunction with parallel reporting through the Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Surveillance System, this study aims to establish incidence rates of ARFID presenting to secondary health care, refe...

Area of medicine

Academic medicine

Allergies

Community child health

Basic page

BPSU study - Chronic recurrent multifocal osteomyelitis/ chronic nonbacterial osteomyelitis (CRMO/CNO)

Surveillance of chronic recurrent multifocal osteomyelitis/ chronic nonbacterial osteomyelitis (CRMO/CNO) commenced in October 2020. It is being led by Dr Chenqu Suo, winner of the Sir Peter Tizard Bursary 2018-19. This study intends to find out how common CRMO/CNO is, and who is involved in the car...

Community child health

Basic page

BPSU study - Multisystem inflammatory syndrome, Kawasaki disease and toxic shock syndrome

Surveillance of multisystem inflammatory syndrome has now commenced. Our aim is to understand the incidence, presenting features, laboratory features, management, clinical course and the outcome of this potentially new syndrome characterised by hyperinflammation which is temporally associated with C...

Basic page

BPSU 'snap-shot' survey - delayed presentations to hospitals

The COVID-19 pandemic led to concerns that children are, for various reasons, presenting late to emergency departments. This has led to delayed diagnosis and hence a delay in treatment. Such presentation delays are well known, but they appear to have increased during this pandemic. Unfortunately, th...

BPSU

COVID-19

Research

News

BPSU study to look at neonatal complications of COVID-19

1 April 2020

The British Paediatric Surveillance Unit has now started collecting data on neonatal complications of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in the UK and Northern Ireland. This study is needed to understand the impact of Coronavirus infection in newborn babies and babies born to mothers with Coronavirus, s...