Community paediatrics

• We can only accept referrals for children who are registered with a GP or reside in Kent. We accept referrals which meet our criteria for
  • West Kent including Maidstone, Tonbridge, Tunbridge wells and Sevenoaks
  • North Kent including Dartford, Gravesend and Swanley
  • South and east Kent including Thanet, Canterbury, Ashford, Dover and Folkestone.
  • To check if the GP falls into our area, please check the ICB website before making a referral - Primary care networks NHS Kent and Medway (icb.nhs.uk). If you are a parent or carer seeking support please speak to your child’s school/ nurse or other professional working with your child.
• If you are a parent or carer seeking support please speak to your child’s school/ nurse or other professional working with your child.
• In order to ensure your referral is accepted it is essential that the referral details clear evidence that you would like the child to assessed against one or more of the areas we provide services for. Please see the section on this website ‘Who we see’.
• As the referrer you will need to gather information prior to making the referral to ensure you have this evidence in place. Please follow the process as below.
• We can only accept online referrals made via this website (should there be any difficulties with completing an online referral it is advised that you contact the service either by telephone or email).

• As the professional working with the family you will need to co-ordinate the collection of the referral information and make the referral. Please ensure all supplementary information is completed and attached to the referral. It is essential that there is information from the family/ carers and the child’s school/ nursery. The referral cannot be processed without completed information.
• You will need to utilise the forms provided on this website to send out to the family/carers and school/ nursery. Please request that this information is sent back to you as the referrer.
• All referrals must include the following supplementary information, the forms for these are available in the referral:
• A ‘Background Information Sheet’ that the family/ carers complete to detail family and child medical, social and developmental history.
  • Background information sheet
• Nursery - school report (unless the child is not in education)
• For referrals where ADHD is considered you will need to provide the following questionnaires:
  • SNAP IV parent ADHD screening tool
  • SNAP-IV teacher ADHD screening tool
• For referrals regarding Autism Spectrum Condition and other social/ communication concerns the service will send screening forms after a referral is made.
• You may decide to add the following information to support a referral, but this is not essential and will not affect the referral being accepted:
  • Sleep diary and questionnaire

Referral

The professional referring the child will gain consent from the child’s parent/ carer in order to make a referral and gather the required information as laid out in ‘How to make a referral’ (information from the school/ nursery and parent/ carer is required for a referral to be accepted, they will then complete the online referral form.

Triage/ screening

Once all forms are completed the referral will screen to ensure the child has been referred to the most appropriate service, once this is confirmed the referral will be accepted. Should the referral be in regard to concerns with social communication difficulties/ ASD our team will send out specific screening questionnaires to the parent/ carer and the child’s nursery/school.

Outcome

The referral will be allocated to a paediatrician who will triage the referral to ensure the child is seen in the most appropriate clinic. The referrer will be notified of acceptance of the referral. If the referral does not meet the service criteria the referrer will be notified and advised of where to refer the child to.

Initial assessment

A detailed history will be taken and an assessment of current concerns. A plan of care will be agreed which may include further assessments and a recommended follow-up time will be given.

A medical report will be written and shared with the parents/carers and GP following the appointment. The service follows a clinical priority process when writing and distributing medical reports. This may result in some people waiting longer than others before their report is distributed.

Follow-up appointments

The timescale for follow-up appointments will depend on the individual needs of children; this timescale will be given as a recommendation in the medical report. We acknowledge that it is not always possible to see children in the recommended timescales and welcome families/carers/ professionals to contact the service should they need advice/support whilst they are waiting for an appointment or if they have new concerns for the child.

A medical report will be written and shared with the parents/carers and GP following the appointment. The service follows a clinical priority process when writing and distributing medical reports. This may result in some people waiting longer than others before their report is distributed.

Contacting the service for additional support

Should further support/ advice be required or you have new concerns for a child please contact the service on 0300 123 4087.

Our telephone operators will pass you query to the most appropriate person. Should it be a clinical query, our service has duty clinicians on daily who may be able to support you. Our administrative staff will be able to advise on appointments, prescriptions and reports.

We accept referrals from professionals working with the child and their family for:

• Developmental assessments
• Assessments for motor disorders, neurodevelopmental conditions, neurodisability, physical and sensory medical disorders.
• Assessment for Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) for children under 11 years*.
• Assessment of Attention deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) for children between six to 11 years of age*.

*children and young people over 11 years are seen by NELFT child and young person’s neurodevelopmental and learning disability service. Please refer to the NELFT website NLDS.

• Children registered with a GP in West Kent or Dartford, Gravesham and Swanley CCGs and/or living within West Kent, Dartford, Gravesham or Swanley. Please check ICB website before making referral: Primary care networks NHS Kent and Medway (icb.nhs.uk).

We are unable to accept referrals for the following:

• Children registered with a GP outside west Kent or Dartford, Gravesham and Swanley CCGs and living outside our area. Please check ICB website before making referral: Primary care networks NHS Kent and Medway (icb.nhs.uk)
• Complex behavioural difficulties
• Self-harm
• Violent and aggressive behaviours
• Eating disorders
• Tourette’s Syndrome
• Mental Health problems (anxiety and depression)
• Counselling.

For all of the above please access the single point of access for NELFT via: NELFT website - Kent CYPMHS get in touch

• Dyslexia (this is an educational diagnosis)
• Sleep problems – please refer to a health visitor / school nurse/ GP (unless there is a neurodevelopment disorder concern).

The following conditions to be referred to acute paediatrics via the child’s GP

• Acute medical conditions (excluding acute/chronic psychiatric)
• Epilepsy
• Failure to thrive
• Growth problems
• Physical abuse (please contact the local hospitals’ children’s ward if a child protection medical is required)
• Constipation
• Daytime Enuresis.

If you have concerns for a child with feeding problems please follow this pathway: GP to assess and refer on as needed to paediatric dietician or acute paediatrician.

For children with feeding problems due to a disability please refer to multi-disciplinary feeding team this can also be completed via the child’s GP.

Families in East Kent should contact East Kent Hospitals University Foundation Trust for further information on autism assessment if your child is under eight years old, and North East London Foundation Trust if your child is over eight years old.

For all ADHD assessment information for families in East Kent, please contact North East London Foundation Trust.

Families in Swale should contact Medway Foundation Trust

Families in Medway should contact Medway Community Healthcare

All children over 11 years old across Kent are referred to North East London Foundation Trust for autism and ADHD assessments.