About the Unit

• The British Paediatric Surveillance Unit (BPSU) undertakes active surveillance of rare conditions in children.

• It was founded in 1986 by the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, the Health Protection Agency and the Institute of Child Health (London) and is operated in cooperation with the Health Protection Scotland (HPS) and the Faculty of Paediatrics of the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland.

• The BPSU is currently funded by the Department of Health.

• The BPSU allows doctors and researchers to find out how many children in the UK and Republic of Ireland are affected by the particular disease or condition each year – this is called epidemiological surveillance. Doctors can also gather information about all the cases of a particular rare condition so that they can begin to understand what might have caused it and how to diagnose and treat.

• Since its inception the BPSU has undertaken over 60 studies and continues to enable paediatricians to:

  • Participate in the nationwide surveillance of infections and infection-related conditions
  • Promote the study of uncommon childhood disorders
  • Provide a mechanism by which "new" diseases can be detected so that early investigation can take place.

Further information on the BPSU can be found from the BPSU annual report and the BPSU quarterly bulletin, both of which can be found in the BPSU publications section.