Hello, I'm Dennis and I'm A Consultant Paediatrician At East Lancashire Healthcare Trust

I am a consultant paediatrician with a special interest in childhood respiratory disease and allergy. I completed specialist training in general paediatrics as well as in respiratory paediatrics in 2002. I now run regular multidisciplinary clinics in respiratory disease and in childhood allergy; we offer skin prick testing, challenge testing and other specialised services such a spirometry, and exercise testing. I also have a regular clinic in cystic fibrosis and other causes of bronchiectasis, which are attended twice yearly by specialist respiratory paediatric team from our local tertiary centre.

Since taking up my post I have taught junior staff and medical students, I have also conducted regular supervision and appraisal sessions for junior staff.

I am an accredited appraiser conducting appraisals of some consultant colleagues and non training grade staff in the department.

I completed a master of laws degree in medical law and ethics in 2012, and have since then written medico-legal reports for the department.

Respiratory Paediatrics

• I have looked after children with a wide range of respiratory diseases including, the care of asthma and other causes of wheeze for tertiary and secondary level patients.
• I have previously had 18 months experience working in a tertiary referral chest clinic with roughly 400 patients a year seen.
• I am proficient in the investigation of allergy, including allergic asthma, and ABPA in bronchiectasis patients.
• I have attended the regional immunology clinic with Professor Cant, and gained valuable experience in the treatment of allergy and immune deficiency in children.
• I have 18 months experience in the regional infectious diseases clinic at North Manchester General Hospital; I learned the treatment of immune deficiency in children including patients with immunoglobulin deficiency, HIV infection. I am also proficient in the investigation and treatment of tuberculosis and atypical tuberculosis in children.
• I have also treated patients with complex respiratory disease such as fibrosing alveolitis, cilliary dyskinesia; obliterative bronchiolitis both post infective and secondary to transplant complications.
• I have a particular interest in cystic fibrosis, including two years as a clinical fellow in cystic fibrosis in The Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital.
• I am proficient in the use of aerosol therapies in the treatment of asthma, CF and non-CF bronchiectasis
• I have attended the 3^rd Paediatric bronchoscopy course at the Imperial College School of medicine. Performed and performed a large number of adult and paediatric bronchoscopies including endobroncheal biopsy, transbronchial biopsy, BAL.
• I have offered support to general surgery, ENT, neonatology, oncology and nephrology with regards to respiratory illness in their patients
• I have worked as a registrar for the Transitional Care Unit, Booth Hall Children’s Hospital looking after children with long-term ventilation. This included tracheostomy care, home ventilation and non-invasive ventilation. I was involved with planning of admission, instigation of treatment and supporting the transition to home care.
• I am very experienced in the counselling of patients, patients families and staff, with regards to bereavement
• I am a member of the Trent Respiratory Registrars group recent topics have been sleep studies and training.

Clinical Research

Predictive Study: We have participated in the multicentre trial into the safety of Insulin Detemir in basal bolus regimes. Ten diabetic children completed the study and they successfully completed the follow up study.

I previously worked as the clinical CF Research Fellow at the Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital. My duties include the both the inpatient and outpatient care of CF patients in the region.

I instigated the use of Azithromycin for the treatment of pseudomonas in the Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital.

I collaborated with the CF team at Booth Hall Children’s Hospital and the Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital to produce comparative data on the treatment of Pseudomonas namely the use of elective or rescue anti-pseudomonas antibiotics. The main thrust of the study was the comparison of rates of exacerbation, antibiotic administration and hospital admissions. The study also looked at the lung function data in both groups. This has given me a valuable insight into CF care in Manchester in last twenty years.

The RMCH is also taking part in the multi-centre trial of nebulised a-1-antitrypsin, the day to day monitoring of our patients, including lung function testing have been my responsibility.

I have completed a study in the use of nebulised tobramycin (TOBIâ) and nebulised colomycin, for which I was responsible for the collection of lung function data and well being questionnaires.

I conducted a study into the effects of aminoglycosides on stop mutations, in cystic fibrosis patients. This included writing of protocols submitted to LREC, which were accepted. The study also consisted of the collection of nasal potential difference data on children and adults before and after the administration of gentamicin and placebo. It also entailed the collection of nasal brushings samples for later RNA analysis. To this end I have learned valuable methods in PCR/RT-PCR, nasal potential difference measurement and sample collection.

Publications

1. Self assessment questions – Current Paediatrics (1996) 6, 47-50 Corbett, D. Mann N.
2. Revision Questions in Paediatrics for postgraduate Examinations 1999 – ISBN 0443 062463.
3. Coincidental finding of a novel cystic fibrosis mutation (1367 del 5) during routine polythymidine repeat analysis – British Society of Human Genetics, (York 1999) Malone, G. Corbett, D. Schwarz, M. Super, M.
4. DeltaF508 heterozygosity and asthma – Super M. Hambleton G. Corbett D – Lancet. 352(9132):986, 1998 Sep 19.

Medical Law and Ethics

• I have completed a period of study into medical law and ethics at Leicester de Montfort University and was awarded the degree of Master of Laws (LLM) in 2012. The areas of study are listed below.
• Core introductory module which comprised an introduction to healthcare law and ethics. This included the legal framework governing health care, sources of medical law, philosophical perspectives on health care and the goals of medicine. Included in this study were general aspects of substantive medical law, including issues of mental capacity, consent and minors
• Clinical Malpractice modules which included study of contract and tort. Also I studied all aspects of clinical negligence and criminal liability. I also studied the treatment of adverse events based on a fault based liability and proposed reforms supplementing or replacing the fault based system. I also explored aspects of complaints, disciplinary process and professional regulation.
• Creation and saving of life; this module covered a wide range of topics including reproduction, infertility and access to reproductive technology. These topics required extensive study of human rights law. Other areas covered in this module included embryo research and organ donation
• I also studied the rights of the foetus and the law relating to abortion. The meaning of personhood. Also the very important topic of withholding and withdrawing life-sustaining treatment for competent patients and for those lacking capacity. I also studied the legal aspects of cardiopulmonary resuscitation and the non treatment of newborns and infants.
• I completed my dissertation on legal aspects on gender for children born with intersex states.
• Much of the knowledge i have gained have helped me in my paediatric practice. I have also been able to help the department review cases and given advice on legal matters within the department.

Audit

1. Comparative study between RMCH and BHCH looking at Rescue Vs Elective antibiotics in cystic Fibrosis from which I gained valuable knowledge into CF care.
2. Audit of lung disease in bone marrow transplant patients, looking specifically at investigation and treatment and its effect on mortality and morbidity. This showed routine use of bronchial biopsy and bronchoscopy would be beneficial. We showed that patients at risk from opportunistic infections such as Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia would benefit from early diagnostic intervention and also limited the use prophylactic co-trimoxazole (reducing bone marrow suppression)

Teaching

• I have been active in clinical teaching both medical students and junior doctors for many years
• I speak regularly to GPs and practice nurses on management of asthma and other respiratory illness in children.
• I have two years experience of teaching respiratory paediatrics for the XL Medical MRCP course both part I and part II.
• I have taught on the Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital MRCP clinical course.
• I have taught nurses and midwives on many aspects of paediatric care including resuscitation, management of acute respiratory illness, hypoglycaemia in newborns.