Can a child's background shape their ICU journey? a new study asks
NCT ID NCT07771179
First seen Aug 18, 2026 · Last updated Aug 19, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study looks at how factors like ethnicity, deprivation, language, and healthcare access affect outcomes for children admitted to paediatric intensive care. Researchers will interview parents and healthcare professionals to understand experiences and barriers, and also analyse existing NHS data to see if certain groups face higher risks. The goal is to identify points in a child's healthcare journey where earlier support could make a difference.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Semi-structured interviews with parents/carers and healthcare professionals, plus analysis of existing NHS data
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could point to where earlier support or intervention might reduce inequalities in children's intensive care outcomes.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-stage qualitative study with only 40 participants, so findings may not apply broadly. Interviews rely on personal experiences, which can vary widely.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Participants
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About 40 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
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Apr 2027
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
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Jul 2031
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
Who is studied
1. Parents and carers of children admitted to PICU at GOSH, Birmingham Children's Hospital, St Mary's Hospital, or Royal Manchester Children's Hospital. 2. Health care professionals working in PICU or referring patients into PICU recruited from GOSH, Birmingham Children's Hospital, St Mary's Hospital, or Royal Manchester Children's Hospital.
- Ages
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18 years and older
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Parents/Carers Inclusion Criteria: * Parent or carer of a child admitted to paediatric intensive care at one of the participating sites: Great Ormond Street Hospital, Birmingham Children's Hospital, St Mary's Hospital, or Royal Manchester Children's Hospital. * Aged 18 years or over. * Able to provide informed consent. * Approached no earlier than 48 hours after the child's admission to PICU. * Where the child has died, parents/carers will be approached between 6 and 12 weeks following the death. * Parents/carers who do not speak English may be included, with interviews conducted using a professional interpreter where required. Exclusion Criteria: * Individuals unable to provide informed consent. * Families of children with ongoing safeguarding concerns at the time of potential recruitment. * Families who are actively involved in a formal complaint process against the hospital at the time of recruitment. * Parents/carers approached within 48 hours of PICU admission. * Bereaved parents/carers approached outside the 6-12 week bereavement window. Healthcare professionals Inclusion Criteria: * Healthcare professionals aged 18 years or over who either: * work in a paediatric intensive care unit, or * are involved in referring children to paediatric intensive care, at one of the four participating sites. * Able to provide informed consent. Exclusion Criteria: \- Individuals unable to provide informed consent.
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
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