The aim of this service is to prevent and shorten hospital admissions for all children aged 0-19 years of age who have a Gateshead GP by promoting Family Centred Care.
About The Service
We aim to provide high quality nursing care and allow children and young people to lead a fulfilling and healthy life. The nature and length of our involvement will vary depending on individual’s needs, this may be for a few days or could be throughout childhood. We will facilitate early discharges where appropriate and prevent hospital admissions.
Our service provides Nursing care in any environment children and young people attend including: home, respite services, play schemes, playgroups, residential homes, nurseries and schools. We work in partnership with Gibside School, Dryden School, Cedars Academy, Hilltop School, all of the mainstream schools, ARMS units and specialist education provisions within Gateshead. We support children to access these provisions by providing any specialist training required and contribute to Education Health Care Plan’s to ensure all health needs are met.
We provide nursing care, support and advice for children and young people and their families either in person or via telephone. Working in collaboration with families, children and young people to assess the physical, emotional and social needs of the child and family. Nursing care can include:
- Naso-gastric/ Naso-Jejunal tube care
- Gastrostomy care
- Tracheostomy care
- Oxygen weaning
- Administration of Intravenous antibiotics
- Administration of Intra-muscular and sub cutaneous injections
- Central line/ PORT accessing
- Blood sample taking
- Wound care
- Newborn blood spot testing
We also run clinics for:
- Thyroid Screening
- RSV vaccination (Palivizumab)
The service provides training where appropriate to parents/carers, schools, respite services (Grove House, St Oswald’s Hospice), playschemes and nurseries. Training provided includes:
- Gastrostomy Training
- Tracheostomy Training
- Nasogastric Tube Training
- Naso-Jenunal Training
- Midazolam Training
- Suction Training
- Anaphylaxis Training
There is more information on what the service provides in the Children’s Community Nursing Service leaflet.
Who Do We See?
We provide Specialist Nursing Care for Children and Young people from birth to 19 years who have a GP in Gateshead.
How To Be Seen by This Service
Referrals into this service must be made by a health professional using an appropriate referral form:
For Health Professional Use Only
What To Expect at Your Appointment
Once we have received a referral for your child, we will contact you to arrange a visit. Depending on your child’s needs, we will arrange either:
- a home visit
- a nursery or school visit
- a clinic appointment
Our clinics are held at:
Dunston Health Centre, Dunston Bank, Dunston, Gateshead, NE11 9PY
What you can expect from us:
Evidence based individualised care which puts the child and family at the centre of everything we do.
What we expect from you:
In order for the child / young person to get the maximum benefit and the best possible outcomes, it is essential that the treatment programme and advice provided by our team are followed. The key to success is following the plans beyond the appointment, and into everyday life.
Our Team
The Children’s Community Nursing Team (CCNT)
What People Say About This Service
“The team were so supportive during what at times felt like a never-ending process”
“You are an amazing team! The children of Gateshead are very lucky to have you!”
Cancelling An Appointment
- If you need to cancel or rearrange a child’s appointment, please call the service as soon as possible on 0191 283 4660. Our opening times are Monday – Friday 8.00am – 8.00pm. Saturday, Sunday and Bank Holidays 8.30am – 5:00pm.
- Please note, cancelling two appointments in a row can lead to the service following the ‘was not brought’ procedure outlined below. This procedure also applies to and includes cancelled home visits.
- Cancelling unwanted appointments means we may be able to offer an appointment to someone else who is waiting.
Child ‘was not brought’ to their health appointment
- Children often do not have a choice about whether they are brought to health care appointments; the decisions are usually made by those caring for them. There is evidence to suggest that failure to attend health appointments can be linked to child neglect in some cases.
- This service therefore follows the Gateshead NHS Foundation Trust’s Safeguarding Children Policy, which includes a reporting pathway to our Safeguarding Children Team when a child is ‘not brought‘ to an appointment, and in some cases when appointments are cancelled. Sometimes when a child is not brought, we may also escalate our concerns to Children’s Social Care.
Contact Us
Please note – Last visits will be no later than 4:30pm or 7:30pm.
Monday – Friday
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Saturday, Sundays & Bank Holidays
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Useful Information
Transition to Adult Services
Gateshead NHS Foundation Trusts services for children and young provide care until a child is around 19 years old (this age can vary and sometimes depends upon educational status and whether the young person has a health and care plan). For those who have long-term health needs, and where ongoing support is required, then this will sometimes be provided by Adult Services.
In healthcare, we use the word “transition” to describe the process of preparing, planning, and moving from children’s to adult services. Transition is a gradual process that gives a young person, and everyone involved in their care, time to get ready to move to adult services and discuss what their healthcare needs as an adult are likely to be. This includes deciding which services are best for you and where you will receive that care.
Transition is about making plans with the young person. Moving away from a team of health professionals that have been known for many years can be scary but hopefully, by getting involved in the transition process, the young person will feel more confident and happier about the move.
Transition will vary from service to service but may involve attending a special appointment where health professionals from the current services ‘introduce’ the young person to health professionals from the services they will attend once they are an adult.
Other Local Children’s Services
The Gateshead Local Offer brings together information for children and young people aged 0-25 years with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and their families.
This includes information about services and support, and advice and guidance on education, health, social care and transport.
The 0-19 Service is an integrated service for families, expectant mothers, children and young people that offers interventions from the pre-natal stage up to the age of 19. Harrogate and District Foundation Trust leads on the delivery of this service, with a focus on working across services and organisational boundaries to improve public health outcomes. The universal reach of the HCP provides an invaluable opportunity from early in a child’s life to identify families that need additional support and children who are at risk of poor outcomes.
About Your Medical Records
This service shares information with GP’s and other health care professionals to ensure that you receive appropriate care. If you do not wish to have your clinical information shared then please inform the clinician at your appointment. Gateshead Health NHS Foundation Trust is a part of the Great North Care Record. This means we make information we record about you available electronically on the Great North Care Record. Health and care staff from other organisations in the North East and North Cumbria who are involved in your care can then access this information. It helps us make your care better and safer. If you want to find out more about the Great North Care Record, or have any concerns; visit the website www.greatnorthcarerecord.org.uk, email [email protected] or call the helpline on 0344 811 9587 (open Monday – Friday 9am – 5pm).