Paediatric Long Term Ventilation
Royal Manchester Children's Hospital
Paediatric Long Term Ventilation at Royal Manchester Children's Hospital
The Paediatric Long Term Ventilation Service is based at Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital and supports children and young people who need ventilator support for breathing at home. The service also provides cardiorespiratory sleep studies for children across the North West.
Observers and fellows can gain structured exposure to regional paediatric long term ventilation practice within a specialist children’s hospital. The service supports children aged 0 to 18 who require different levels of breathing support, including non-invasive ventilation via a mask and complex ventilation via tracheostomy.
The programme focuses on practical understanding of long term ventilation assessment, non-invasive ventilation, tracheostomy ventilation, sleep study pathways, complex discharge planning, parent and carer education, home ventilation preparation and multidisciplinary follow-up.
The service works closely with Paediatric Intensive Care, High Dependency, neuromuscular, metabolic, respiratory, therapy and community teams. Observers and fellows will gain insight into how complex respiratory needs are managed safely across hospital and home settings.
Fellowships and observerships at Manchester Specialist Health Academy provide international clinicians with structured opportunities to experience high quality healthcare training within a leading NHS environment. Both pathways offer consultant oversight, a clear induction, and access to modern clinical settings that support a strong understanding of advanced patient care. Participants are welcomed into a professional community that encourages learning, collaboration, and engagement with the culture of Manchester.
While fellows take part in more in depth clinical development, gaining exposure to subspecialties, procedures and research, observers focus on shadowing and understanding multidisciplinary practice within NHS services. Both groups benefit from involvement in clinics, team discussions, and wider learning activities such as simulation sessions, CPD opportunities, and quality improvement insight.
Academic contributions and awards
The Paediatric Long Term Ventilation service is linked to paediatric respiratory medicine, sleep medicine, long term ventilation, quality improvement and critical care research activity at Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital.
Recent and relevant academic and innovation highlights include:
• Long-Vent Kids, a study designed to provide knowledge about prolonged mechanical ventilation for critically ill children and inform standardised approaches to care and procedures.
Rare and complex cases
- Children and young people requiring home ventilation through non-invasive ventilation or tracheostomy ventilation.
- Children stepping down from Paediatric Critical Care or High Dependency after prolonged illness or rehabilitation needs.
- Infants requiring slow weaning of breathing support after neonatal intensive care admission.
- Respiratory complications linked to neuromuscular, metabolic, neurodisability, prematurity, airway and chronic lung conditions.
- Pathways for medically stable long term ventilated children, including complex discharge planning and preparation for home care.
- Cardiorespiratory sleep studies performed in hospital and at home, supporting assessment of sleep disordered breathing.
Why Manchester?
Manchester is a city of innovation and progress, renowned as the world’s first industrial city and still leading in science, healthcare, and technology. With excellent transport links and a vibrant, multicultural atmosphere, it offers an inclusive environment for learning and professional growth.
Beyond your placement, Manchester offers something for everyone - from watching the iconic Manchester derby to exploring world-class museums and galleries. With vibrant music, sport, and culture, the city truly has it all. Combining heritage and modernity, it creates a unique setting for personal enrichment and memorable experiences whilst you develop professionally.
Our signature programmes
Observership
Paediatric Long Term Ventilation
Objectives
By the end of the placement, the visiting professional should be able to:
- Describe the structure of a regional paediatric long term ventilation service and how inpatient, outpatient, sleep study, transition and home ventilation pathways connect.
- Recognise core indications for paediatric long term ventilation, including chronic respiratory failure, neuromuscular disease, airway problems, prematurity-related respiratory needs and neurodisability-related respiratory complications.
- Explain the roles of non-invasive ventilation, tracheostomy ventilation, respiratory action planning, equipment training and complex discharge preparation.
- Identify how multidisciplinary teams support children and families across Ward 83, respiratory clinics, sleep study services, critical care, therapy and community pathways.
- Understand how sleep studies, ventilation review, escalation planning, parent education and transition planning support safe long term care.
- Reflect on transferable approaches to family-centred communication, safeguarding awareness, governance, discharge planning and home ventilation support.
Eligibility
- The visiting professional must have sufficient English language skills to engage meaningfully in the observership.
Fellowship
Paediatric Long Term Ventilation
Objectives
By the end of the placement, the visiting professional should be able to:
- Develop deeper understanding of supervised paediatric long term ventilation practice within a regional NHS respiratory service.
- Apply evidence-based principles to supervised discussion of respiratory assessment, ventilation modes, tracheostomy ventilation, sleep study interpretation, discharge planning and escalation.
- Gain structured exposure to outpatient respiratory care, home ventilation preparation, multidisciplinary meetings and complex discharge pathways.
- Strengthen understanding of interfaces with Paediatric Critical Care, High Dependency, neuromuscular, metabolic, therapy and community services.
- Contribute to supervised audit, quality improvement, case-based discussion, teaching or research-related activity.
- Build professional insight to support future senior clinical, academic, educational or leadership roles in paediatric respiratory medicine and long term ventilation.
Eligibility
- Postgraduate Qualification: Applicants must hold an overseas-recognised postgraduate medical qualification (MD, MS, Masters) in ophthalmology or a relevant specialty.
- Experience: Minimum of 3 years’ recent experience in ophthalmology or a related specialty within the last 5 years, including at least 12 months of continuous practice before applying.
- Training Level: Equivalent to ST5 or above, or post-CCT clinicians seeking subspecialty exposure.
- Language Proficiency: IELTS Academic with 7.0 in each band and overall 7.5, or OET Medicine with Grade B in all domains, with certificate validity within 24 months.
- Registration: GMC registration is required for fellowship activity. Sponsorship support may be available through approved routes where appropriate.
- Applicants must not have failed PLAB exams previously.
- Visa sponsorship is only available through approved routes; self-funded visas outside agreed schemes are excluded.