South Thames Paediatric Network

Improving Healthcare for Children and Young People, Together

About Us

The South Thames Paediatric Network (STPN) was established in September 2018 following a national review of Paediatric Critical Care and Paediatric Surgery. The STPN is commissioned by and currently responsible to NHSE specialised commissioning, receiving core funding via NHSE London Region and some funding for the delivery of education from NHSE South East Region. The network is hosted by Guys & St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust and works in collaboration with five ICSs South East London, South West London, Kent & Medway, Surrey Heartlands and Sussex, three Tertiary Hospitals and over 20 District General Hospitals. The STPN Board has representation from each commissioning region and from clinicians covering a specific part of the network. Summaries of our work to date can be found in our Annual Reports and Newsletters.

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Our Aim

Our overall function is to ensure that, by working with commissioners and clinical teams, all children and young people in the Network have equal access to excellent care and that the workforce is supported to meet future demands.

– We act as an advocate for children and young people (CYP), children’s services and the staff
– We deliver the service specification for nationally mandated CYP networks (Paediatric Critical Care, Surgery in Children, Epilepsy (2022-2025))
– We provide and evaluate education and training for staff within the network
– We drive a networked approach to operational and strategic development -of CYP services
– We make recommendations and seek solutions to ensure equity of access to services to improve outcomes and patient and family experience
– We collate and analyse data from multiple sources to inform and measure the impact of work programmes, and to monitor agreed metrics
– We link providers and commissioners, acting as an unbiased and external advisor, building and sharing intelligence as required
– We carry out reviews of services to inform transformation or in response to concerns raised

Our Geography

Our Workstreams

Our current two main areas of focus are;

– Paediatric Critical Care
– Paediatric Surgery

We are also proud to host the Pan Thames Paediatric Long Term Ventilation Programme providing joint governance with our colleagues in North Thames Paediatric Network and to host the Tony Hudgell Programme, funded by the Tony Hudgell Foundation via the Evelina London Charity.

– Phase 1 (2023-24) provided a comprehensive analysis of Allied Health Professional provision for Children and Young People with complex needs which highlighted the complexity of offering Multidisciplinary care across organisational boundaries.
– Phase 2 started in January 2025 for 18 months focussing on ‘Developing multidisciplinary standards of care across the South East of England & Nationally, for children and young people who require management of tone caused by spasticity and/or dystonia’

We completed a successful Epilepsy work programme delivering the National Bundles of Care during 2022-2025.