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About Child Health

History

Medical teaching in Aberdeen was established with the foundation of the University in 1495. The medical school, containing the principal clinical specialities represented in the College of Life Sciences and Medicine is located on the Foresterhill site on the same campus as the Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, Aberdeen Maternity Hospital and the Royal Aberdeen Children's Hospital (RACH). All teaching and research takes place on the Foresterhill site in the purpose-built facilities of the Institutes of Medical Sciences, Applied Health Sciences and the Suttie Centre for Teaching and Learning. The University is strong in biological and medical sciences and is committed to maintaining these areas of expertise. One hundred and eighty undergraduates enter the Medical School each year.

Academic Child Health

Academic Child Health has state of the art laboratory facilities and office accommodation and is located on the top floor of RACH adjacent to NHS offices and a fully equipped teaching and learning suite. A dedicated children's clinical research facility, the Craig Research Unit, is located on the lower ground floor and is supported by GCP trained paediatric research nurses and forms part of the Scottish Medicines for Children Research Network (ScotMCN). Established staff include Professor of Child Health, two senior lecturers in child health, a clinical senior lecturer in child and adolescent psychiatry, a clinical lecturer, laboratory and administrative/secretarial support. Externally supported staff vary in number. Child Health hosts the Scottish Medicines for Children Research Network (ScotMCN) which forms part of the UK National Institute for Health Research (NIHR). The College of Life Sciences and Medicine has made significant investments in teaching technology including distance learning, computer assisted learning and tele-medicine.

Health Services

Grampian Region and the Northern Isles (Orkney and Shetland) are served by a unitary management structure (NHS Grampian) providing all acute primary care medical services. Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, adjacent to RACH, is the major acute hospital in the North-East of Scotland and contains regional services for neurosurgery, cardiac surgery, radiotherapy and renal medicine including transplantation. RACH (97 beds) provides comprehensive medical services for the 100,000 children resident in the Grampian Region and in the Northern Isles. The Neonatal Unit provides specialist services for 6,000 deliveries annually, of which 5,000 are delivered in the adjacent Aberdeen Maternity Hospital . The Raeden Child Development Centre, close to the Foresterhill site, is jointly managed by NHS Grampian and the Education Department of Grampian Regional Council. A wide range of specialty interests is supported including cardiology, endocrinology and diabetes, respiratory, and neonatology, neurology, oncology and haematology and gastroenterology. The unitary management of NHS Grampian and the combined Child Health Services ensures integration of all services for children and adolescents. Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services are currently provided by the unified Department of Child and Family Psychiatry (DCFP) Clinical Child Psychology and the Young People's Department (YPD) .