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10 Years of LDC (March 2021)
The Louis Dundas Centre (LDC) is now over 10 years old and has made significant progress towards realising the goals it set out to achieve. The LDC is now a nationally and internationally recognised centre for research in children with life-limiting conditions or life-threatening illnesses. It remains the only centre of its kind in Europe, with a dedicated Professor leading its PPC efforts. The LDC is regarded as a respected source of knowledge and advice for clinicians, professional bodies and policymakers.
The following illustrates key achievements over the last ten years (as of March 2021):
PUBLICATIONS AND COLLABORATIONS
- 92 articles published in peer-reviewed journals
- 24 chapters in textbooks; including 10 chapters in the award-winning sentinel textbook in Paediatric Palliative Care (PPC) Goldman et al Oxford Textbook in Paediatric Palliative Care; and the only two chapters on children and young people in the Oxford Textbook of Palliative Medicine (6th ed.)
- Edited first-ever Special Issue in Palliative Medicine dealing with Paediatric Palliative Care
- 236 invited lectures, presentations, plenary talks, keynote addresses and workshops at professional meeting and conferences
- 16 Editorial Positions (including editorships and membership on advisory and editorial boards) of peer-reviewed journals
- 11 Invitations to collaborate on proposals for research funds with institutions external to the Louis Dundas Centre
EDUCATION
- Education and Training courses, workshops and study days fully subscribed
- Proven track record and experience in successfully developing well evaluated educational programmes in PPC since 2012
- Foundation Course for non-specialists accredited by Royal College of Nursing (RCN). Since November 2016, 136 nurses have attended. Evaluations indicate an increase in knowledge and confidence in caring for children with LLC and LTI
- Since October 2016, 90 health care professionals from GOSH as well as other hospitals, community teams and hospices, have attended one of the four parallel planning and end of life care study days, we offer each year. Participants report that they have been able to incorporate what they learned into their practice
FUNDING AND AFFILIATIONS
- Received almost £10m in funding to go towards research projects
- LDC research has been referenced in NICE Guidance on Paediatric Palliative and End of Life Care and has influenced policymakers to improve the educational and skill level of practitioners or researchers. Significant references have also been made in leading pediatric palliative care publications such as Palliative Medicine, BMJ Supportive and Palliative Care, Journal of Child Health Care. Other important references also appear in specialised publications such as Health Expectations, Pediatrics, The Lancet, Qualitative Health Research, Journal of Pediatric Psychology, Pediatric blood & cancer, International Journal of Nursing Studies, Health Foundation, European Journal of Cancer Care, Archives of Disease in Childhood, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews Australian Critical Care
- Held 126 Leadership positions on national and international initiatives in Paediatric Palliative Care
- Provided evidence for a national study to change the way that paediatric palliative care is funded
- Formed the TfSL - a National Association for Paediatric Palliative Medicine (APPM) Research Group – a group comprised of researchers and clinicians.
- Capitalised on links with the Marie Curie Palliative Care Research Department, UCL School of Pharmacy and the Academic Departments at ICH such as Population, Policy & Practice, Pain Programme and the Cancer Programme