Paediatric Complex Needs: MDT Communication Models and Strategies

Joanna has a wide-ranging background in both the NHS and the Independent sector. She has worked in schools, community nursing and Continuing Care. Joanna was a Chief Nurse in a large corporation providing homecare across the UK and now works as a consultant advisor to those working with children, young people and adults in the places they live and work, including hospices, residential homes/schools/colleges, assisted living, secure settings and family houses. Joanna is passionate about supporting people to achieve their chosen goals whilst remaining in their preferred environment; supports nurse-led care, especially for those with complex needs and is an advocate for those people who need care at home and for the nurses and carers that provide this.

Mary Salama works as a consultant paediatrician at Birmingham Women's and Children's Hospital. She has a leadership role in human factors and improving care for children with medical complexity. 

She is a quality improvement enthusiast and has been a member of the Q community since 2017. Projects have included improvements in systems surrounding children with medical complexity, communication with young people in the co-produced #teentalk initiative and the incorporation of parental escalation in paediatric early warning scores. She is a clinical entrepreneur, an executive member of the Colab partnership and an advisor for the Wellchild Charity.

Rachel is currently working as Medical Lead for Children with Medical Complexities Team based at Birmingham Childrens Hospital. She has worked within the acute sector for the past 20 years within Birmingham. Rachel has worked within a variety of different roles working with children with medical complexities, working as a CNS for EB and a Discharge Liaison for Children with Complex Needs. Rachel was also part of the founding team of The Hospital @ Home service within Birmingham Childrens Hospital. 

Rachel’s current role is her biggest achievement as she has been part of developing an innovative and unique service from the beginning. Rachel is passionate about trying to make a difference, by navigating barriers, working with families and trying to ensure that they get the right service at the right time. Rachel finds this role immensely rewarding and she is so proud to be part of a team of likeminded, determined, passionate professionals.

Dr Jelena Stojanovic is a Consultant Paediatric Nephrologist at Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children. She also holds an honorary consultant position at King’s College Hospital and serves as a Senior Lecturer at University College London. Her expertise lies in renal transplantation and reno-vascular hypertension12.

Dr Stojanovic’s journey includes:

• General paediatric training in Newcastle upon Tyne.
• Subspecialty nephrology training at Great Ormond Street Hospital and Evelina London Children’s Hospital.
• Two years as a consultant paediatric nephrologist at Evelina London before joining the transplant team at Great Ormond Street Hospital34.

Her dedication to paediatric nephrology and her contributions to patient care make her an invaluable asset to the medical community.

With over 16 years nursing experience and over 12 years dedicated to community children's nursing, Clare's expertise encompasses a spectrum of Community children’s nursing responsibilities, ranging from proficient management to strategic initiatives in her senior capacity. Clare's experience and knowledge extends to complex discharge planning, continuing healthcare, safeguarding, intricate medical care, long-term ventilation, enteral feeding, advanced central venous access device care and mitigating acute illnesses to prevent hospital admissions and attendance.

Transitioning into the role of a practice educator within the community, her commitment to education and quality is at the forefront of her practice, with a large focus towards clinical governance and the delivery of gold standards of care. Clare is passionate about teaching, emphasising individual strengths in the clinical environment, especially when facilitating group learning experiences.

As a clinical educator, Clare is proud to be supporting a London university as a visiting lecturer. Delivering teaching to child branch nursing students, with a focus on complex community care

A pivotal aspect of her current focus is well-being, prompting her pursuit of becoming a professional nurse advocate. This aims to provide universal support and nurture to my colleagues in their professional journeys, offering restorative supervision and developmental support through coaching. The PNA Role heavily focuses on quality improvement and resilience of staff which is paramount to Clare as a clinical manager and educator.

Last year she was fortunate enough to be invited to present at the International ANTT conference, focusing on paediatric intravenous practices and the challenges with ANTT, further enhancing her commitment to advancing the field and ensuring the highest standards of care for paediatric patients.