The HeadSmart campaign commences
The HeadSmart campaign is a collaboration between the Children's Brain Tumour Research Centre (CBTRC) at the University of Nottingham, the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) and The Brain Tumour Charity (formerly Samantha Dickson Brain Tumour Trust), with funding provided by the Health Foundation's 'Closing the Gap' award scheme and The Brain Tumour Charity.
With the coming together of these organisations a program of objectives was set, to be achieved before an official launch in 2011. The initial aims of the HeadSmart campaign were to:
| Objective | Result |
|
Develop a HeadSmart website |
A national website* providing information about the signs and symptoms of brain tumours in children and young people was developed |
|
Develop information materials for health professionals, parents and the public |
Posters*, leaflets* and ‘pocket-sized’ symptom cards* were created, as well as a Quick Reference Guide (a summary version of the Diagnosis of Brain Tumours in Children' guideline) |
|
Run a publicity campaign to raise awareness of HeadSmart |
Plans were made for the official launch in June 2011, and beyond this for a sustained campaign of awareness raising through dissemination of materials, media activity, publicity attendance at conferences and events, etc. |
|
Recruitment of clinical champions to support, implement and evaluate the guideline |
A network of Clinical Champions was established covering each of the neuro-oncology centres in the UK |
|
Evaluation of HeadSmart |
Clinical Champions started collecting symptom interval data (data on the time to diagnosis) which would be used to evaluate the success of HeadSmart |
* Based on the 'Diagnosis of Brain Tumours in Children guideline' This has since been formally approved under the NHS Evidence Accreditation Scheme from NICE (National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence)’
The launch of HeadSmart
HeadSmart, its website and materials were officially launched on 8th June 2011. There was widespread coverage on national and regional TV, radio and online.
BBC5 Live - Click on listen now from this link and scroll the bar along to 1.41.37 to hear Harry’s story.
In addition, information packs explaining HeadSmart were sent to every GP in the East Midlands, umbrella/friends groups and interested individuals.
The launch was a success and was attended by many families, staff and supporters from the partner organisations, and two of The Brain Tumour Charity’s patrons – Earl Spencer and Hayley Mills.