Community dietetics paediatric referral form

This form is not suitable for referring patients who are enterally fed. Please complete the following referral form and send to kentchft.hen@nhs.net.

• Enteral feeding paediatric referral form

We do not accept referrals for fussy eating, constipation or reflux without another evidenced clinical condition such as; faltering growth, obesity, food allergy and/ or ASD. Information which may help direct you to the most appropriate services:

• KCHFT website: Children’s Community Dietetics webpage
• Health Visiting Service (if children are under five)
• School Health Team (if children are between four to 19)
• Direct parent/ guardian to patientwebinars.co.uk
• Children’s bowel and bladder charity, ERIC for constipation
• Specialist Children’s Bladder and Bowel Nursing Team for constipation (east Kent only)
• Specialist infant formula guides (Kent and Medway); Guidelines and Quick Guide for reflux or lactose intolerance management

For children over two years of age, we will not accept referrals for weight management if BMI <98^th centile. We will only accept for children with a BMI between the 98^th and 99.6^th centile in combination with another evidenced co-morbidity or children with a BMI >99.6^th (with or without a co-morbidity), so long as in both instances they have first completed either the Health visiting ‘healthy weight and nutrition’ package of care (if under five) or School Health ‘healthy weight support for your child’ (between four to 19).

Use the following links for accessing these packages of care:

• Contact health visiting (our Kent family website)
• Eat well and get active - healthy weight support for your child

For children under two years of age, we will not consider referrals for weight management unless they have first completed the Health visitors ‘healthy weight and nutrition’ package of care and been identified to have continued rapid weight gain.

• Children’s Community Dietetics (KCHFT)
• Health Visiting Service (if children are <5 years)
• School Health Team (if children are ≥4-19 years)
• One You Kent (KCHFT) (parent involvement required)
• Direct parent/ guardian to patientwebinars.co.uk

Additional exclusions:

• FODMAP diet (this is not recommended for children)
• Eating disorders (defined as; Anorexia Nervosa (AN), Bulimia Nervosa (BN), Binge Eating Disorder (BED), Other specified Feeding and Eating Disorder (OSFED), Pica, Rumination Disorder, Avoidant/ Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID), Other; Muscle Dysmorphia, Orthorexia Nervosa (ON)As defined by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5)
  If >8 years of age, Please refer to: Kent and Medway- NELFT (referrals accepted by GP/ Health Care Professional)
  For all other ages, Please refer to: Kent and Medway- Single Point of Access (referrals accepted by parent/carer/ GP/ Health Care Professional)
• Disordered Eating which relates to a mental health condition and where no organic cause is identified, Please refer to: Kent and Medway- Single Point of Access (referrals accepted by parent/carer/ GP/ Health Care Professional).
• Out of area patients- we cover patients whose GP resides in east and west Kent areas only.

• Defining faltering growth: Faltering growth: recognition and management of faltering growth in children (nice.org.uk)
• Defining Obesity: Obesity: identification, assessment and management (nice.org.uk)