Children’s (or paediatric) physiotherapists provide treatment and care to babies, children, and young people from birth to 19 years. They have specialist skills, expert knowledge and experience of childhood development and disabilities.
A children’s physiotherapist will assess a child’s range of movement, strength and current level of function, to identify areas of difficulty or weakness.
About This Service
Gateshead Children’s Physiotherapy Service aims to educate, motivate and facilitate individuals to achieve their optimum movement and function and be able to participate in activities. They do this by creating individually tailored exercise programmes, self-management techniques, and/or the prescription of specialist equipment, such as supportive seating, standing or mobility aids. The service aims to ensure children reach their physical potential, achieve their goals and have an improved quality of life.
There is more information on what the service provides in the Children’s Physiotherapy Service Leaflet.
Who do we see?
This service sees children and young people aged 1-19 years, who are registered with a Gateshead GP who commonly have concerns such as:
- Children with ‘Developmental Delay’
- Children with neuromuscular disorders such as Cerebral Palsy, Spina Bifida, Muscular Dystrophy
- Children under 5 years of age with muscular skeletal conditions including intoeing gait, ‘knock knees’, and tip toe walking.
How To Be Seen By This Service
Your health visitor, school nurse, other health professional or portage team may be able to give you some preliminary advice around your child’s needs. If your child requires further support, referrals into the specialist Children’s Physiotherapy Service are accepted from health professionals such as a GP, Health Visitor or Paediatric Consultant.
What To Expect At Your Appointment
Once your referral has been triaged you will receive an assessment appointment. Assessment may include one or more of the following depending on need identified:
- a home visit
- a nursery or school visit
- a clinic appointment
- a group session (with children with similar needs)
Our clinics and groups are held at:
Dunston Health Centre, Dunston Bank, Dunston, Gateshead, NE11 9PY
What you can expect from us:
We will listen to your concerns and look at your child’s abilities and together decide how best we can help your child.
We will develop a programme specific to the child’s needs. Advice will be given at the end of the assessment as to how you can help your child at home.
We will write to your GP or consultant with the assessment outcome and treatment plan.
What we expect from you:
Your child will need to dress appropriately. Younger children can be assessed in their baby vests or underwear. Older children will probably prefer shorts and T-shirt, which they can wear or bring along to change into.
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 are followed. The key to success is following the plans beyond the appointment, and into everyday life.
Waiting Well
Sometimes you may have to wait longer to be seen by our service than we would like. Where possible, we may direct you to resources and interventions which you can try at home before your appointment. In some cases, this advice can help to maintain your wellbeing, reduce symptoms or provide ideas on things you can safely try yourself to overcome your problems.
Current Expected Waiting Times
We strive to see everyone who is referred to us in a timely manner. We prioritise our appointments on clinical need and risk, so some people will wait longer than others.
Waiting times for this service are updated here on a regular basis.
Currently you can expect to wait no longer than 5 weeks for an initial appointment [updated 30.10.2024].
Our Team
- Team Lead – Joanne
- Physiotherapists – Beth, Megan, Sian, Maxine, Sarah
- Physiotherapy Assistants – Ian, Sharon
- Administrator – Adele
What People Say About This Service
“My child has progressed massively since being referred”.
“I am really happy. My son is almost a teenager and the physiotherapists have adapted his treatment plan to include his passions”.
“Always reachable and ready to provide answers”.
“The exercises are helping”.
Cancelling an appointment
- If you need to cancel or rearrange a child’s appointment, please call the service as soon as possible on 0191 445 3124 between 8:00am and 5:00pm. Please note, cancelling two appointments in a row can lead to the service following the ‘was not brought‘ procedure outlined below.
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.
Useful Information
- Association of Paediatric Chartered Physiotherapists – Information for parents
- About Children’s Physiotherapy – APCP
- Cerebral Palsy – NHS UK
- CerebralPalsy.Org.Uk
- Leckey Parent Hub
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.
This 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).