On the 9^th July 2025 the Paediatric Infection Prevention Improvement Network (PIPIN) held a face-to-face education and networking day in central London. This event was supported by an education grant from the Hospital Infection Society (HIS). PIPIN is a multidisciplinary group of professionals working in a range of roles in infection prevention control or paediatrics. It was set up in 2018 as there was no paediatric special interest group offered by the range of professional societies. We meet regularly as a group to discuss issues, share experiences and provide a supportive network to those working in IPC. We represent paediatrics at a national level on groups led by UKHSA, NHSE and the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH). Our aim is raise the profile of paediatric infection prevention control and ensure it is considered in national and local guidance. We also aim to share knowledge through educational and networking events and provide a supportive forum for individuals working in this speciality.

The day ran from 1000 to 1600 and was attended by over 34 professionals working in Infection Prevention Control (IPC) or paediatrics from across the UK. We even had one overseas attendee who is in the UK on a scholarship. The day provided a mix of education sessions on topics such as Candidizyma auris and touched on the first paediatric outbreak of this organism and the associated management, challenges around decontaminating neonatal incubators and then a focus of infection of paediatric surveillance focusing on paediatric and neonatal intensive care units. The day also provided a forum and opportunity for attendees to share their experiences with each other in small groups and discuss the challenges they face around paediatric infection prevention control which were then shared with the wider group. After a networking lunch we discussed the challenges, we faced delivering paediatric infection prevention control and each small group shared their three most important challenges. This will be used to inform future workstreams of PIPIN.

Feedback from the day was positive and attendees enjoyed the mix of educational sessions and the opportunity to discuss and share practice with each other. Many attendees asked for the day to be an annual event and requested more education around paediatric infection prevention control. Many thanks to HIS for the funding which allowed this day to take place with as minimal cost as possible to attendees which was appreciated.