The Children’s Physiotherapy team support children and young people in Doncaster & Bassetlaw aged 0-16 (up to 19 years in some cases) who have musculoskeletal or neurological conditions (problems with their muscles, joints or nerves).
We offer assessment and advice and/or treatment for children and their families who have a range of conditions or difficulties (we do not diagnose) including:
- Flat head problems known as ‘Plagiocephaly’
- Muscle and joint problems
- Neurological disorders or developmental delay
- Developmental co-ordination disorder
We see children in a variety of settings; in clinic at the hospital, community clinics, schools, nurseries, at patients’ homes across Doncaster & Bassetlaw.
Referral information
Children can be referred to our service from their GP, a Doctor at the hospital, school/nursery settings and other health professionals. Please contact any one of these people if you feel your child may need physiotherapy support.
We review all referrals to determine the urgency of the condition. The level of urgency will determine how soon the appointment is.
What to expect at your first appointment
The physiotherapist or assistant will usually start by talking to you about your child’s early history and development. You will have the opportunity to discuss any concerns you may have about your child.
Depending on the age of your child and the identified difficulties, the physiotherapist will assess your child’s movement by involving them in different tasks and activities. For some children, particularly younger ones, this assessment may be done through play.
You will have the opportunity to ask the therapist questions.
If we think it may help, we may also ask for permission to contact other services or the child’s education staff. Sometimes we may arrange to visit your child in another setting, for example in their school.
Where will my first appointment take place?
Appointments are offered by a virtual platform or in person, normally in the Children’s outpatient department but sometimes at school, nursery or at home dependent on the reason for referral.
Your child must be accompanied by a parent or guardian for both face to face and virtual appointments.
If attending the hospital site, parking is limited on site so ensure plenty of time to attend your appointment. Alternatively there is a Park and Ride service at Doncaster which runs frequently from the Racecourse throughout the day. Click here for more information to get to DRI.
Please can you ensure on a virtual appointment that you are in a suitable environment for this appointment to be carried out, eg at home in a quiet room if possible with enough space to enable the therapist to carry out a full assessment.
How long will my first appointment last?
The appointment may take around 1 hour. However we may not be able to complete the full assessment in this time, so the assessment may carry over to a second appointment. Usually, follow up appointments will be shorter.
What happens if I cannot attend my appointment?
If you cannot attend your appointment contact us as soon as possible on 01302 642633.
Preparing for your appointment?
If able, your child should bring, or be wearing, shorts and a T-shirt to help the therapist to complete an assessment.
A list of any current medication and relevant hospital letters are sometimes useful.
Self help/useful resources
Leaflets that can give information on common childhood problems such as toe walking, in toeing gait
Disability advice service
Support for SEN children in school: SENDIAS
Give us your feedback on our service
Please visit our patient survey (Friends and Family Test) and leave your comments.
Photo by Count Chris on Unsplash
Photo in header section by Robert Collins on Unsplash
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