Paediatrics Hub

There is a UK and Ireland Paediatric and Neonatal ECMO physiotherapy working group. Please email below contacts for further details. 

Emma Shkurka: emma.shkurka@gosh.nhs.uk 

Jen Balls: j.balls2@nhs.net   

Hannah Child: h.child@nhs.net  

Laura Rimmer: laura.rimmer@alderhey.nhs.uk 

Paediatric ECMO Centres:  

England:  

• Alder Hey Children’s Hospital  
• Birmingham Children’s Hospital 
• Bristol Royal Hospital for Children
• Evelina London Children’s Hospital 
• Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children
• Leeds General Infirmary 
• Leicester Royal Infirmary 
• Newcastle Freeman
• Royal Brompton Hospital
• Southampton Children’s Hospital 

Scotland:  

• Glasgow Royal Hospital for Children 

Republic of Ireland:  

• Children’s Health Ireland at Crumlin 

Useful links and research articles 

• European Extracorporeal Life Support Organisation: EuroELSO  Home - EuroElso 

• Maratta C, Potera RM, Van Leeuwen G, et al. Extracorporeal life support organization (ELSO): 2020 Pediatric Respiratory ELSO Guideline. ASAIO J 2020; 66(9): 975–979 https://www.ovid.com/jnls/asaiojournal/fulltext/10.1097/mat.0000000000001223~extracorporeal-life-support-organization-elso-2020-pediatric 

• Shkurka, E., Child, H., Balls, J. et al (2022) Early rehabilitation and mobilisation of neonatal and paediatric extracorporeal membrane oxygenation patients: A UK and Ireland consensus document. Perfusion https://doi.org/10.1177/02676591221132676 

• Shkurka, E. and Nolan, W. (2022) Physiotherapy-led lung ultrasound in neonatal extra-corporeal membrane oxygenation: A case study. Perfusion 38: 5 

Useful links and research articles 

• APCP Guidance for Oropharyngeal Suction of a Child or Young Adult conv.pdf 

• APCP Respiratory Risk Identification Matrix for Children and Young People with Neurological Impairment: risk_identification_matrix_2024_0.pdf 

• APCP Supporting Children’s Community Respiratory Physiotherapy Services: supporting_ccrps_2024.pdf 

• FutureNHS workspace. This is an MDT workspace aimed at optimising respiratory care for children and young people with complex neurodisability. The forum is available to discuss matters relevant to this area: 

Optimising Respiratory Care for Children and Young People with Neurodisability - Futures

Useful links and research articles 

• Overview | Asthma: diagnosis, monitoring and chronic asthma management (BTS, NICE, SIGN) | Guidance | NICE 

• Management | Asthma | CKS | NICE 

• Karkouli G, Douros K, Moriki D, Moutsatsou P, Giannopoulou I, Maratou E, Koumpagioti D. Dysfunctional Breathing in Children: A Literature Review. Children. 2024; 11(5):556. https://doi.org/10.3390/children11050556 

• Martin J, Townshend J, Brodlie M. Diagnosis and management of asthma in children. BMJ Paediatr Open. 2022 Apr;6(1):e001277. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjpo-2021-001277 

• Grillo LJ, Easton I, Schreuder FM, et al. Physiotherapy assessment of breathlessness and disordered patterns of breathing: Defining a consensus on terminology and assessment. Chronic Respiratory Disease. 2025;22. doi:10.1177/14799731251315483 

• Wells, C., Makariou, I., Barker, N., Thevasagayam, R. and Sonnappa, S. (2023) Exercise induced laryngeal obstruction (EILO) in children and young people: Approaches to assessment and management. Paediatric Respiratory Reviews, Vol 46, 37-48. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.prrv.2023.04.003. 

• Wells, C., Rosewarne, C., Taylor, K., & Saglani, S. (2026). Swimming against the tide in implementing change in paediatric physiotherapy for asthma and dysfunctional breathing: stakeholder reflections through digital storytelling. Design for Health, 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1080/24735132.2026.2685893 

• Wells, C., Cross, J. L., & Saglani, S. (2026). Acceptability and feasibility of co-designed hybrid tele-physiotherapy for children with difficult asthma: a mixed-methods study. Journal of Asthma, 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1080/02770903.2026.2721167 

This is not an exhaustive list but offers some suggestions for external training that is available. Please be aware that course dates may change, or be unavailable, as the year progresses. Use the provided links to search for the most up-to-date course details.  

Please feel free to email paediatrics@acprc.org if you have information regarding an external course that may benefit ACPRC members. 

Courses 

• Alderhey Children's Hospital Paediatric Clinical Skills course. 14th November 26, led by Paediatric respiratory physiotherapists. Email: paediatricclinicalskills@gmail.com 

• APCP Introduction to Paediatric Physiotherapy. Includes a section on respiratory, alongside other paediatric modules: https://apcp.csp.org.uk/courses/apcp-introduction-paediatric-physiotherapy-itpp-informative-comprehensive-programme 

• Association of Paediatric Chartered Physiotherapists (APCP) Level 1 Respiratory course November 26:   APCP Respiratory (level 1) Foundation course (1 day F2F with ½ day pre-recorded presentations for participants to watch prior to course) | The Association of Paediatric Chartered Physiotherapists 

• Children’s ACuTe UltraSound (CACTUS): Intensive Care Society | Children’s Acute Ultrasound (CACTUS) 

• Great Ormond Street run an online intro to paediatric respiratory course. It is not currently advertised but hopefully it will run again.  

• Great Ormond Street Paediatric Long-Term Ventilation. The GOSH Paediatric Long-Term Ventilation Course 2026 | Events 

• The Essentials to Breathing Pattern Disorders. 7th November 2026 // Upcoming Events 

•  UCL run several standalone short courses, as part of their MSc programme. No dates for 2027 as yet. Please check the website for details. Paediatric Cardiorespiratory Physiotherapy | Short courses - UCL – University College London 

• Respiration Through Life, Health and Disease (CHLD0021) | Short courses - UCL – University College London 

• WFPICCS have an excellent, freely available, educational resource area that includes webinars, podcasts and workshops Webinars - WFPICCS 

Conferences 

•  British Thoracic Society, Summer and Winter: BTS Winter & Summer Meetings | Dates & Programmes 

• European Respiratory Society Conference: ERS Congress - Home - ERS - European Respiratory Society 

• European Society of Paediatric and Neonatal Intensive Care Congress: Welcome | ESPNIC Congress 2027 - Budapest, Hungary 

• King’s John Price Paediatric Respiratory Conference: KJP Paediatric Respiratory Conference, London - UK 

• Paediatric Critical Care Society Conference: Home 

• World Federation of Paediatric and Neonatal Intensive Care Societies Congress: 13th World Congress of the World Federation of Pediatric Intensive & Critical Care Societies - WFPICCS 

• Association of Paediatric Chartered Physiotherapists respiratory committee  Respiratory Committee | The Association of Paediatric Chartered Physiotherapists 

• British Thoracic Society  British Thoracic Society  

• European Respiratory Society European Respiratory Society - ERS 

• European Society of Paediatric and Neonatal Intensive Care  ESPNIC - European Society of Paediatric and Neonatal Intensive Care - ESPNIC 

• Paediatric Critical Care Society (UK) PCCS 

• World Federation of Paediatric and Neonatal Intensive Care Societies Home - WFPICCS