Aims Child health training in the UK varies enormously between medical schools. Differences in placement duration, content and assessment have led to calls for a national undergraduate syllabus. This study aimed to establish the views of paediatricians involved in planning and delivering undergraduate child health training.

Methods The lead for undergraduate paediatrics at every UK medical school was contacted. Semi-structured interviews were undertaken with all those agreeing to participate. Participants were asked for their views on a national undergraduate paediatric syllabus and broad topic areas they would like included in it.

Results 21/31 (68%) undergraduate paediatric leads were interviewed between June and November 2013. All were in favour of a national syllabus citing reasons including improving postgraduate recruitment to paediatrics, helping prepare for GMC inspections and promoting sharing of teaching resources.

20 (95%) participants wanted teaching resources included, 19 (90%) wanted practical competencies and 11 (52%) requested a list of core conditions.

Conclusion Developing a national syllabus for undergraduate paediatric training relies heavily on support from the clinicians involved in implementing it. We have identified strong support for this project with agreement on some broad areas to include in the final syllabus. Consultation with stakeholders including medical students, parents and paediatricians must continue to maximise the utility of this document.