What happens if I am referred to Community Paediatrics?
Once you have completed the initial stages of the pathway you may be referred to community paediatrics.
The Community Paediatric Department may give advice to your GP, or other health care professional without seeing you, or may offer you an appointment.
What happens next?
It is important that a child or young person is accompanied by someone with parental responsibility. Older children who come with a parent may be offered time with a clinician alone as part of their appointment with us. If a young person over the age of 16 years wishes to come on their own we need to know in advance, please contact us on the above number.
Clinic appointments are offered in medical settings, as we see a range of children in each clinic and may need to examine children and young people due to their clinical needs. Waiting spaces may be used by a range of people for different clinics in the location, please do speak to the reception team if you have any concerns.
The Community Paediatrician will usually ask questions about your health and may do a medical check-up which may include height, weight, and blood pressure checks.
Your child may be seen by any member of the paediatric team and a student may be present. You will have an allocated amount of time with the doctor or member of the team, whilst we try to run on time, sometimes there are urgent problems that can impact on this. Thank you for being patient if this is the case.
If you wish to speak to us separately from your child, please bring someone with you to look after your child in the waiting area. If you feel before or during the appointment that there is something you would like to share privately please do contact our admin team on the above number, and they can advise how this information can be shared with the clinician/
If your child has specific toys, comforter or sensory activities that keep them calm, please do bring them along with you to the appointment.
You should be told what is going to happen next and why. If you feel uncomfortable or uncertain please tell the doctor.
A diagnosis is unlikely to be made at the first appointment as the doctor will think about all the information and make a plan with you.
What happens at the end of the appointment?
At the end of the appointment the doctor will explain what will happen next.
- You might be offered support and advice and transferred back to the care of your GP or referrer
- The doctor may need more information from other people who know you
- You may be offered another appointment
- You may be referred to another doctor or specialist
- You may need further tests. The doctor will explain what these involve and why they are needed
- You also may be asked to do some reading or contact other services yourself.
Follow on care
Assessment usually takes a number of months. In some cases, you may need to be seen a few times before an explanation or diagnosis can be given for your difficulties
You can get help and support even if you do not have a diagnosis and please the frequently asked questions.
