Increasing understanding
of Vitamin D deficiency

The challenges

  • Vitamin D3 deficiency was highlighted following the report in SACN July 2016. Following publication of this report The Department of Health suggested that everyone should consider taking a vitamin D supplement for their bone health in the winter months, between October and March, if they cannot get enough by exposure to sunlight. That includes all infants and children from six months to five years. 

  • Healthcare Professionals were keen to increase their knowledge on this preventable condition, especially as Vitamin D is the most common nutritional deficiency worldwide. Around one-quarter of the UK population is deficient in vitamin D, rising to around one-third in the winter months.1

  • Guidelines are very useful but they don’t always take into account the challenges of treating the diverse UK population. Ethnic diversity can bring complex challenges in diagnosing and treating vitamin deficiency across all age ranges

Work article

Our solution

Getting it right from the start - a national educational meeting to clarify
treatment of Vitamin D deficiency  

  • We organised a meeting that was not only CPD accredited but also supported by the Royal Osteoporosis Society. The agenda covered a range of key topics from Diagnosis of Vitamin D deficiency to Vitamin D in pre-pregnancy and IVF through to other key life stages
  • To encourage ongoing discussion and education around this important subject the meeting was filmed so that it could be rolled-out regionally

Delivery

  • 90 paediatricians and nurses attended a one-day meeting in Birmingham, May 2019 where leading experts delivered clear guidance and encouraged discussion around this subject
  • Seven poster Abstracts were also submitted as part of a competition. The posters focused on different aspects of vitamin D and human health, and were developed by young physicians and scientists from the West Midlands
  • The meeting was highly rated by all delegates and the roll-out meetings were well-attended

1. NICE. Vitamin D deficiency in adults—treatment and prevention. NICE Clinical Knowledge Summary. NICE, 2016. cks.nice.org.uk/vitamin-d-deficiency-in-adults-treatment-and-prevention (accessed 11 April 2018).

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