What the service does
How to access the service
Location of service
What the service does
Community Paediatricians are specialist children’s doctors with training and expertise in developmental, social (including child protection, adoption and fostering) and educational paediatrics (special educational needs) as well as disability.
We specialise in assessing and managing children and young people who have developmental problems or disability.
We provide the following services for Children and Young people with additional needs:
- We assess, listen to, and decide the best way to help children where there are concerns about delayed or atypical development including neurological conditions, cerebral palsy, complex Neurodisability and genetic conditions associated with delayed development or learning difficulties
- We provide review for children with complex medical needs who require ongoing paediatric involvement
- We undertake assessments of preschool children with social communication difficulties and early developmental impairment including Autism assessment
- We provide medical assessment and advice for Educational statements for children with identified special educational needs and contribute to annual medical reviews where appropriate
- We complete medical assessment and advice for Children in Care or those undergoing adoption
- We review children attending special educational needs schools who require paediatric input
- We undertake ADHD assessments in children aged 6 years until the end of Primary year 7
- We supervise children on ADHD medication until 18 years of age
- We offer a multi-disciplinary feeding clinic comprising SLT, dietetics and paediatrician for those with complex feeding issues
- We manage children in the community with epilepsy in conjunction with our epilepsy nurse specialists
- We provide medical assessment and advice for school-age children undergoing an autism assessment where it has been deemed necessary for a paediatrician to be involved
Our clinics include:
- feeding and failure to thrive
- epilepsy
- review clinics for children with complex physical disease
- Initial assessment of primary school aged children >6years
- Supervision of ADHD medication of patients within Belfast Trust area
- Paediatric input where it has been deemed necessary for a paediatrician to be involved/consulted with the assessment
- To provide medical support for the adoption and fostering services
- to include support to school nursing
- to provide medical advice for statutory assessments and contribute to annual medical reviews where appropriate
- To provide review for children with complex medical needs who require ongoing paediatric involvement.
- To provide medical review for children attending special schools who have ongoing medical co-morbidities.
Community Paediatrics does not manage all child health conditions. Specifically, we do not typically manage physical health conditions like constipation, bedwetting, weight difficulties, hearing problems or isolated sleep problems. We do not assess children with mental health concerns, these referrals should be directed to CAMHS.
We do not accept referral where behaviour is the main presenting feature unless a paediatric developmental assessment is required as other services are more appropriate to advise these families on behaviour management. We do not accept secondary school children for initial assessment regarding ADHD. If there are concerns regarding co-morbid mental health concerns (ie anxiety / depression / self harm), children should be referred to the CAMHS service.
We also don’t diagnose specific learning difficulties, or assess for dyslexia, dyscalculia, or sensory processing difficulties.
Who provides the service
Community Paediatricians work closely with other health professionals such as GP’s, therapists, nurses, health visitors and hospital doctors as well as professionals from other agencies such as education, child and adolescent autism service (CAAS) and social care.
How to access the service
Our service is available for new referrals of children and young people (CYP) aged 0-14 years. We do not accept ADHD referrals before the age of 6 or after the end of the Primary 7 year. We continue to review CYP as clinically indicated until 18 and up to 19, if attending special schools.
Referrals to the service are made by a range of professionals in hospital and the community e.g. health visitors, social workers, GPs, community children’s nurses, allied health professionals, educational psychologists.
If you think your child may need community paediatric services, please speak to your GP who will be able to refer you if required.
Opening hours
Carlisle Community Paediatric Secretaries – 02895042982 – Phoneline open 09.00 – 13.00
Carlisle Partial Booking Team (new referrals) – 02895040510 – Phoneline open 09.00 – 13.00
Arches Community Paediatric Secretaries- 02895042322 – Phoneline open 09.00-12.30
Bradbury Community Paediatric Secretaries – 02895042323 – Phoneline open 08.30-13.00
Locations
Community paediatrics are based in the following health centres and clinics
- Carlisle Health and Wellbeing Centre
- Bradbury Health and Wellbeing Centre
- The Arches Health and Wellbeing Centre
Useful Links:
ADHD:
The Community Paediatric team accept referrals for children who live in the Belfast area who are > 6 years of age where there is a concern regarding possible ADHD or children with a diagnosis of ADHD requiring supervision of ADHD medication who have moved into Belfast HSCT area.
ADHD clinics are offered at Arches, Bradbury and Carlisle centres. They are run by doctors, nurses and healthcare workers. Patients on ADHD medication require regular review to ensure their medication is safe to continue prescribing and so patients with ADHD on medication should expect to have appointments several times a year. At each appointment patients will have their height, weight and blood pressure measured. Failure to attend appointments could lead to medication being stopped.
Below are some useful information for patients with ADHD
Staying Safe and ADHD, Healthy Eating and ADHD, Healthy Lifestyle and ADHD, Sleep and ADHD
What Happens before I’m referred to adults? Adults: What to expect