We are thrilled to announce that Bhavika, an Honorary Registrar in Plastic Surgery at the Spires Cleft Centre, has been awarded a National Institute of Health and Care Research (NIHR) Doctoral Fellowship to undertake an exciting project entitled ‘Understanding and improving surgical care for children born with bilateral cleft lip and palate.’
Bilateral cleft lip and palate (BCLP) is a rare and complex condition that impacts on the development of a child’s face and speech. It is the most severe form of cleft and requires multiple surgeries over the child’s lifetime to improve how they speak, eat and look. The timing, sequence and techniques used in these procedures varies across hospitals in the UK and Ireland. As a result, children may receive different treatments depending on their location, which can lead to differences in their speech, appearance, and overall well-being. Understanding these variations is crucial to improving and standardising care to ensure the best possible outcomes for all children born with BCLP.
The aim of Bhavika’s research will be to understand the variation in surgical care delivered across the UK and Ireland for children born with BCLP and how this affects their outcomes. Following this she plans to develop an evidence-based framework to guide surgical practice in the UK.
Her research will be based at the University of Bristol where Bhavika will make use of the invaluable data held by the Cleft Collective study. Her PhD thesis will be supervised by Marc Swan and Professor Yvonne Wren.
Hearty congratulations Bhavika!