Manchester Child Health Research Institute sets out vision for the future of child health research

Leading researchers and clinicians from across the UK came together on Tuesday (20^th October) to discuss the future of child health research in Greater Manchester.

The Manchester Child Health Research Institute (MCHRI) engagement event, Our Children, Our Future: Advancing Child Health Through Research was the first event for the new institute which aspires to put Greater Manchester’s children, young people and families at the centre of world-class research.

Held at Manchester’s Whitworth Art Gallery, the event brought together leading figures in paediatric health and research and featured a keynote speech from Professor Steve Turner, President of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) who said:

“The fundamental issue is that child health outcomes in Manchester, across England, and throughout the UK are getting worse.

“There are already a number of groups and organisations in Manchester doing fantastic work, and this initiative is about bringing them together.

“By pooling resources and expertise, the collective impact becomes much greater than the individual contributions. Ultimately, the goal is to improve the health of children, both locally in Manchester and further afield.”

The event marked an important milestone for MCHRI, which has been established with the support of the Manchester Foundation Trust Charity and the vision to create a healthier generation of children in Greater Manchester, and a brighter, healthier future where children everywhere can lead flourishing lives.

The Institute aims to build research capacity, strengthen partnerships and bring together Greater Manchester’s considerable strengths in child health research to improve outcomes for children and young people both in Greater Manchester and beyond.

The day included a number of speeches by representatives from the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), the Royal College of Psychiatrists, the Children’s Hospitals Alliance and leading research organisations across Greater Manchester.

Dr Rachael Barber, Medical Director for the Specialist Hospitals Clinical Group at Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust (MFT), was one of the speakers. She said:

“I’ve been a paediatrician for more than 25 years, and throughout my career I’ve seen first-hand the impact that inequality can have on children, young people and their families.

“Every day, clinicians see the consequences of poor housing, poverty and unequal access to healthcare. For example, children may be admitted to hospital with severe asthma attacks that are closely linked to the environments in which they live. While we can treat the immediate medical problem, we also need to address the underlying causes.

“That’s why initiatives like this are so important. Research gives us the opportunity to better understand those challenges and develop solutions that improve lives in the long term, rather than simply responding to problems when they occur.”

The event also featured a panel session with children and young people in Greater Manchester who have first hand experience of receiving healthcare. They spoke about their experiences of health care and their ideas for improving research to make it more accessible for children and young people.

Professor Rachel Lennon, Co-Clinical Director of MCHRI and a researcher at the University of Manchester (UoM) said:

“Manchester has tremendous strengths in child health research, but much of that expertise exists in separate, disconnected pockets. Individual specialties have achieved significant progress over many years, but there’s now an opportunity to connect those areas more effectively. The institute exists to bring those strengths together so that we can achieve more collectively than we can independently.

“Across the UK, around 25% of the population are children, yet only a small proportion of research funding is dedicated to child health. At the same time, we face significant health inequalities.

“Where a child grows up has a profound impact on their health, wellbeing and life expectancy. Here in the North West, we see particularly high levels of deprivation and child poverty. Those factors have a major influence on health outcomes throughout childhood and later life.”

Professor Indi Banerjee, Co-Clinical Director of MCHRI and Consultant Paediatric Endocrinologist at Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital (RMCH) said:

“We’ve been developing the idea of the Manchester Child Health Research Institute for more than five years. What began as a series of conversations with people involved in child health research across Manchester quickly highlighted a strong appetite for collaboration.

“Researchers wanted to come together, share expertise, and become part of a connected ecosystem rather than working in isolation. For many years, excellent research has been taking place across the city, but often within separate specialties and organisations. The vision for the institute is to provide a shared home for child health research, creating a network where people work together, learn from one another, and ultimately achieve more collectively.

“This is an incredibly exciting moment for child health research in Manchester. We have a unique opportunity to bring together expertise, ambition and lived experience in a way that can genuinely improve outcomes for children and families.”

The event outlined MCHRI’s long-term ambition to become the UK’s leading place-based child health research institute by 2036, recognised internationally for generating knowledge that leads to measurable improvements in the health and wellbeing of children and young people.

The Institute will continue to engage with partners across the child health research eco-system to help achieve its mission of putting Greater Manchester’s children, young people and families at the centre of world-class research, addressing the burden of need and inequalities that shape children’s health and life chances, and driving the shift toward earlier diagnosis, community-based care, and a healthier start for every child.