Complex Critical Illnesses Group (CCI)

The Paediatric Complex Critical Illness (CCI) Special Interest Group is part of the Paediatric Critical Care Society (PCCS). We bring together healthcare professionals from across disciplines who share a commitment to improving care, outcomes, and support for children with complex critical illness and their families.

Chair

Dr Sofia Cuevas-Asturias

Paediatric Critical Care Locum Consultant, Southampton Children's Hospital.

Deputy Chair

Dr Fiona Frame

Senior Clinical Fellow in Paediatric Critical Care and Retrieval, Oxford.

Secretary

Donna Austin

ANNP Paediatric Critical Care and Retrieval, Southampton Children's Hospital.

Policy Development Lead

Helen Turnham

PICM consultant in Oxford

 

Our Purpose

Children with complex critical illness represent a growing and important population within paediatric critical care. Their care requires tailored, multi-disciplinary approaches that address not only clinical needs, but also psychological and long-term outcomes.

What We Do

  • Provide a network and forum for professionals with an interest in CCI within paediatric critical care.

  • Share learning, expertise, and best practice across teams and centres.

  • Support and lead research, service evaluation, and quality improvement initiatives.

  • Develop and promote educational resources for professionals.

  • Act as a point of contact with other professional bodies and contribute to national discussions and consultations on CCI.

Membership

Membership of the CCI Special Interest Group is open to all medical, nursing, and allied health professionals who are members of PCCS. Members can expect regular online discussions, resource sharing, and at least one annual meeting.

Current Projects

This autumn, we are hosting a five-part evening webinar series (Tuesdays at 19:00, 28 October – 25 November 2025), focused on enhancing communication, ethics, and conflict resolution skills in Paediatric Critical Care (PCC) and related settings. Each session begins at 19:00 and is led by expert clinicians and specialists in their respective fields.

  1. 28 October 2025 – Conflict resolution communication skills within PICU
    Speaker: Samantha Potter, PICU Consultant in Southampton, Wessex ODN lead, and RCPCH Conflict Resolution lead.
    Focus: Practical strategies for managing and resolving conflicts in the high-stakes environment of PICU.

  2. 04 November 2025 – Concepts of Medical Ethics and Decision-Making in Children with CCI
    Speaker: Helen Turnham, Oxford PICU Consultant and Ethicist.
    Focus: Ethical principles and frameworks guiding decision-making in the care of children with complex chronic illness (CCI).

  3. 11 November 2025 – The Role and Communication of Palliative Care in Children with CCI
    Speaker: Joanna Laddie, Consultant in Paediatric Palliative Medicine, Clinical Director of Medicine & Neonatology at ELCH, and Chair of the GSTT Clinical Ethics Advisory Group.
    Focus: Integrating palliative care and communicating sensitively with families of children with CCI.

  4. 18 November 2025 – Empathetic Communication within PICU
    Speaker: Andy Ward, Director of Education and Training at the Stoneygate Centre for Empathic Healthcare, University of Leicester.
    Focus: Building and sustaining empathy in clinician-family communication within intensive care.

  5. 25 November 2025 – Challenging Communication: Mediation Techniques and Resources for Resilience
    Speaker: Esse Menson, Medical Mediation Foundation.
    Focus: Mediation approaches and resilience-building resources to manage difficult conversations in PICU.

Meeting Minutes

No current minutes available.

Upcoming Meetings

TBC.

Useful Links

N/A.

How to Join

Contact chairs.