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Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), despite being illegal in the UK, remains a major public health issue. This article reports the findings of a semi-structured survey, exploring current FGM services, conducted at a multi-disciplinary event. Seventy-eight respondents from the health sector, voluntary agencies, education sector and police force completed the survey. Data were analyzed descriptively. Findings suggest that training, information and practical issues need addressing. Furthermore, the routine recording of FGM data needs consideration. The FGM National Clinical group has used these findings to target areas where they can offer support.

Children with cancer are now living longer lives. As a result, the focus on care has shifted to include psychosocial components to help promote healthy adjustment to the diagnosis of cancer. In addition, the focus extends to the systems that encompass the patient and family. This ranges from cultural needs to comfort care and how the medical team and institutions address these issues. Through well-defined psychosocial practices, children and families are better prepared to cope with cancer and become well-adjusted survivors. However, regardless of the eventual outcome of the disease, providing psychosocial services can add to the quality of life. Many common practices have emerged over the last 25 years, and many more will continue to arise as outcome studies continue to address the impact of psychosocial services and interventions. This report explores some current trends and common psychosocial practices in working with children with cancer and their families.

Professor and Director of Midwifery and Nursing, Imperial College Healthcare Trust

Can you give me a brief summary of your midwifery career to date?

Can you give me a brief summary of your career to date?After training as a nurse at the Royal London Hospital and working as a staff nurse and junior sister, I left nursing for 10 years to focus on my children. I returned to nursing as a district nurse. I have held a range of senior nursing and managerial posts, which included chief nurse and general management posts in hospital and community services. I have worked at regional and national level in developing policy and implementing large scale change across England.

Can you give me a brief summary of your career to date?I began my midwifery career as a general nurse before qualifying as a midwife in 1983. I spent many happy years working as a midwife across a variety of clinical settings at the Birmingham Women's Hospital. While working in a number of senior posts, I had three children, developed an interest in infant nutrition and gained an MSc in Advanced Midwifery. In 1999, I was appointed as the National Infant Feeding Adviser to the Department of Health in London and had a steep learning curve getting to grips with national policy and civil servants. I joined NICE in 2006 and I have worked in the centre for clinical practice for 3 years, playing a major role in developing clinical guidelines for the NHS.

I qualified as a doctor in 1972 and worked in Sri Lanka the UK and Singapore. I returned to the UK in 1997 where I have remained. For 6 years I was treasurer of the International Federation of Obstetrics and Gynaecology and Secretary General for 3 years before serving as Vice President for Education at the RCOG. I became President in 2007.