Parents and Carers

Information for parents and carers

 

 

This page offers information for parents/carers who have had a child referred into the Community Paediatrics service.

 

 

First appointment

Your referral will be received by the Central Booking Service, this is checked by a community paediatrician to ensure that the referral meets the referral criteria for the service.

 

If the referral is accepted you should expect to be offered an appointment within 18 weeks from the date of referral in line with the National Referral to treatment targets.

 

If the referral does not meet the referral criteria for the service the referral will be rejected and a letter sent back to the referrer explaining the reasons and also signposting them to the correct place.

 

During the first appointment the Doctor will discuss your concerns while also finding out more information about your child and any family history as well as identifying key problem areas.

 

The appointment will last approximately 45 minutes.

 

 Things that can help:

• Any medical information and/or reports from your child’s school/GP will be very handy for our paediatricians
• Bringing a close family member or friend as support can be really useful when taking in information

 

 

Follow-up appointments

Once you have had your first appointment, you may be asked to fill out some questionnaires in order for the Doctor to obtain more information about your child. From this, all information will be reviewed by the paediatricians before the next step is decided.

 

If your child requires a follow-up appointment you will receive an appointment letter approx. Four weeks in advance of the appointment date.  The appointment will last approximately 25 minutes.  The Doctor may require some additional information from your child’s GP and/or school before this appointment can be arranged.

 

Please note:

•  You will only be offered a future follow up appointment if deemed clinically necessary.  The Doctor may signpost you to other services or provide you with the relevant information you require.
• There can be a considerable wait before your child receives a follow-up appointment due to the high demand on the service.
• If you are unable to attend your child's appointment please call the Central Booking Service to cancel it as this can then be offered to another child.
• If you Do Not Attend (DNA) or if a child is not brought (WNB) to an appointment this adds additional pressure to the service as this is a wasted appointment slot and not only costs the NHS money but also increases the waiting times.
• Please allow plenty of time prior to the appointment, for travel and parking.

 

 

Additional information and support 

• Our community paediatricians work on a diagnosis basis and do not have access to psychologist services other than referring on to Forward Thinking Birmingham. However, if you are worried about your child in between appointments, support can be found by visiting Forward Thinking Birmingham.
• Support groups and forums.
• If you would like more information on family support, please visit Birmingham Children's Trust who provide support and information for families, or Birmingham Council who provide support for families.
• If you would like more information on disability allowance, please visit Birmingham Children's Trust. 
• Please remember to bring your child’s red book to all appointments.
• If you are unable to attend an appointment, please let us know as soon as possible by calling  0121 683 2320
• If you would like to receive SMS text reminders for your appointments with the community paediatrics service, please call 0121 683 2320 to confirm your mobile number.

 

If you are waiting for a new or a follow up appointment and you are concerned about your child’s health please contact your GP, call 111 or 999 if an emergency.