Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust Southport and Ormskirk

How long is the wait for an initial assessment and when will my child be seen?

From referral to treatment (initial assessment) – RTT should be a maximum of 18 weeks. This is to allow time for more information to be gathered from parents, schools and other professionals to help the paediatrician carry out a thorough assessment. Our wait times may be longer due to doctor shortages.

English is not my first language

Please ensure you give us adequate notice and the service can arrange for a professional interpreter to join the appointments. We need this person to be booked by our service rather than a family member interpreting.

I cannot attend clinic in person can a phone consultation be held?

Your child’s initial assessment is best done as a face to face consultation (except in exceptional circumstances where this is not possible). Thereafter we have decided to continue some appointments via phone or video link, and you can opt in to this.

I have been informed that questionnaires will be needed for my next appointment, when will I receive these?

These will be sent out to you / child’s school electronically via email or post after your child’s appointment. We will always need the most up-to-date information.

Is it possible to have appointments outside of school hours such as after 4pm?

We run clinics in the mornings and afternoons. All clinics finish at 4pm.

I need to cancel my appointment, how much notice do I have to give?

We kindly ask that you try to give us at least 48 working hours although this may not always be possible. This helps us to appoint another child and helps to keep our waiting lists down. Please be aware that after cancelling an appointment, there may be a significant wait for another, this is due to lack of capacity and extensive waiting lists. If two appointments are cancelled in a row this may result is a discharge from the service.

What if I don’t attend an appointment without informing?

We currently have a very high DNA rate which is impacting on our waiting list for new and existing patients. Every missed appointment results in a longer wait for the next appointment for all our patients, not only your child. Please note if you do not attend your first appointment and do not let us know we will assume you no longer require our service and you will be discharged. If you are an existing patient you will be discharged on your second non-attendance and no further prescriptions will be issued. If our service is still needed, you will need to have a new referral sent and you will be added to the waiting list.

My child has just had their appointment and I wondered how long I will have to wait for the medical report?

The turnaround for all medical reports is usually between two and four weeks.

My child has been newly diagnosed with ADHD, what happens next?

After an initial diagnosis a letter confirming the diagnosis will be sent to you, your GP and the child’s school (with your consent) along with information about the condition, as well as information for support group for parents in the area where advice and support can be found. Currently we have access to the commissioned service of ADHD North West, who provides a helpline, information leaflets, family support, workshops and a parent empowerment & skills programme.

My child has been medicated, how do I get a repeat prescription?

You will contact the clinic you attend to request a repeat prescription, please see all contact details on our ‘Where we work’ page. If your child is on medication, they will be reviewed by the community paediatrician or ADHD specialist nurse every three / six months. GPs do not issue repeat prescriptions in this area. If there are concerns with the medication you will be asked to see a paediatrician/specialist nurse earlier for a possible medication change. We ask for a minimum of 7 days’ notice, prescriptions will be written on two set days throughout the week, please ensure you leave us your child’s name, DOB and medication you require. In order for us to prescribe safely and within NICE guidance we need to ensure your child has had height, weight, blood pressure and pulse monitored. When virtual clinics are held we ask parents to take these observations at home or via the GP.

How do I get to speak to a paediatrician? I am worried about my child

If your child has not been referred to the Community Paediatric Service then you will need to speak to your GP, health visitor or preferably your child’s school nurse to be referred.

If your child is known to our service and is open to the service, please contact the Medical Admin Team for your area:

If this is deemed as an urgent matter, the paediatrician/nurse specialist will call you back within 72 hours.

My child is having violent outbursts and threatening self-harm, can I have an earlier appointment?

This is not a reason to see a paediatrician; it is a reason to go to A&E to be seen by CAMHS. If you need immediate help you can visit your local hospital and they will arrange for an assessment.

Kooth is a free, online counselling and emotional wellbeing platform which is available to young people aged 10-16 years across Lancashire. Kooth allows young people to gain anonymous access to advice, support and guidance on any issue that is affecting their mental health and wellbeing. Access it here.

If my child does not get diagnosed with a specific diagnosis, what are the next steps and how do I get support?

Diagnosis is not essential to manage a child’s needs. If your child is not diagnosed with anything specific, the clinician will explore other issues to see if there is an underlying problem. You can also look at the links for challenging behaviour on our website; you can also visit this link for Early Help from the Child and Family Wellbeing service. If there is no support or treatment available from our service you will be discharged. We will support your child throughout and will not discharge if there are ongoing issues.

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