Community Paediatric Service

Our service is run by consultants, specialist doctors, specialist nurses, advanced clinical pharmacists and administrators. We work closely with other child health professionals and departments, such as specialist health visitors, therapists e.g. speech and language therapists, physiotherapists and occupational therapists, dieticians, community nurses, medical specialists in other Hospitals e.g. Neurologists, Gastroenterologists in University Hospital of Wales, dependent upon the needs of your child. The Community Paediatrician is the person who has an over-all understanding of your child’s complex needs, and is the local point of contact for co-ordination of your child’s care.

Our team provide specialist assessment and support for the following children:

• Children with significant and persistent developmental problems that have not improved with early intervention
• Children with genetic conditions (e.g. Down’s syndrome) associated with developmental problems
• Children with complex physical disabilities (e.g. cerebral palsy) associated with medical and developmental problems
• Children with Special Educational Needs in combination with health needs
• Initial Health Assessments for Looked After Children

There are many issues that are not covered under the community paediatrics service. If you have any of the following concerns, please follow the directions below:

• Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD): please follow the link to the Neurodevelopment Service
• Developmental Co-ordination Disorder (DCD): please speak to your child’s school teacher or ALNCo (Additional Learning Needs Co-ordinator) who may refer you via the DCD pathway to Occupational Therapy
• Difficulties with one area of development:
  • Hearing issue only: please see your child’s GP or health visitor who may refer your child to the specialist audiology department
  • Speech issue only: please see your child’s GP, health visitor or teacher who may refer your child to the Speech and Language Team
  • Walking: please see your GP or health visitor who may refer your child to the physiotherapists
• Dyslexia: please discuss this with your child’s teacher. The community paediatric team do not perform dyslexia assessments.
• Learning difficulties not associated with a genetic/medical condition: please speak to your child’s teacher or ALNCo
• Sleep difficulties in isolation i.e. no neurodevelopmental disorder or learning disability: please seek advice from your child’s health visitor (if <5yrs) and other online resources (see neurodevelopmental service online resources)
• Behavioural concerns only: please seek advice from local community and children’s services – links below
• Enuresis clinics: please see your GP or health visitor who can refer to the enuresis clinic which is not part of the community paediatric department
• General medical conditions: please see your GP for a referral to the general paediatric team.

Some appointments are over the phone and some are in person. New patient appointments last 60 minutes and follow up appointments last 30 minutes.

If there are specific needs your child has e.g. needing an appointment at the start /end of clinic when it is quieter, please inform us on the number below.

At the in-person clinic appointments, you will need to book in at the reception desk. A clinic nurse will call you to have the height / length, weight and sometimes blood pressure measurements taken.

At your initial appointment the doctor / nurse will discuss your concerns and your child’s development. Your child will then be examined. Children will be involved in this process as far as they are able to participate.

At the end of the appointment the doctor / nurse will discuss the best way forward for your child with you.

If you are unable to attend your appointment, please contact us as soon as possible so that we can rearrange or cancel the appointment. We may be able to reallocate this appointment to someone else. If you fail to attend 2 appointments then your child will be discharged from our service and you will need to go back to your GP / health visitor for a new referral. You will receive a letter if you have not attended an appointment.

We now operate a text reminder service, so please make sure that we have an up-to-date contact number for you on our system.

For enquiries in relation to new appointments please contact:

• Rhondda and Merthyr Cynon area – Amanda Morgan 01443 715300
• Bridgend: Jackie Roach, Children’s Centre, Princess of Wales Hospital 01656 753996

For enquiries in relation to follow-up appointments please contact:

• Merthyr (YCC appointments): YCC Children Centre 01443 715300
• Rhondda (RGH and YCR appointments): 01443 443443 ext 73202
• Bridgend: 01656 753996