Important information about Covid-19 and changes to our services

Page last updated: 11.15 am, Monday 30 March 2020

This page gives an overview of changes to our services due to the Covid-19 / Coronavirus outbreak. Please check back regularly for further updates.

What is coronavirus?

Covid-19 also known as Coronavirus is a new illness that can affect your lungs and airways. There is more information about the illness and the symptoms to look out for on the NHS website.

What to do if you have symptoms

The NHS website has advice about what to do if you have symptoms of Covid-19. This advice includes how to avoid spreading the virus to other people, and how and when to ask for help if you are unwell. Please do not go to a clinic, GP surgery, pharmacy or hospital. Read the guidance on the NHS website. This page includes a link to the NHS 111 online coronavirus service. 

Updates and changes to the way we provide services

We are working hard to prevent the spread of Covid-19 and to protect families and our staff. Due to this situation, some of the ways our services work are changing.

If you feel unwell, please don’t go to your appointment or have a home visit – please call us. You can call the number on your appointment letter or phone the Advice Line.

Most appointments across our services are now taking place by telephone.

Immunisations Appointments

Prior to your appointment we will ask you to inform us of your arrival in car park via telephone (number will be on appointment letter). A nurse will ask you the following questions:

  • Are you and your child well today, no fever or cough. Have you been well for the past 2 weeks?
  • Have you travelled within the last 2 weeks?
  • Your child’s temperature will then be taken on arrival.
  • We are spreading appointments out every 20 minutes to minimise contact with other children and families.
  • You will be brought straight into your appointment and let out via another exit to minimise contact.
  • All equipment and surfaces including door handles will be cleaned between appointments.

Developmental Paediatric Service

As a service we are continually reviewing the Developmental Paediatric Service and the provision we can offer at this time. In the efforts to reduce the spread of Covid-19 in line with Government, NHS England and organisation specific advice/guidelines, we are making changes to service provision that we offer.

Appointments: 

  • We have prioritised work and identified what is essential face to face work and what can be completed by telephone consultation. High priority work will remain face to face.
  • For all other consultations, these will now be undertaken by telephone. If during this telephone consultation that a face to face contact is identified as being required this will be arranged at this time.
  • If families/carers have an appointment booked with a Developmental Paediatrician this will now be offered via telephone consultation.
  • The appointment will go ahead at the same appointment time as offered, so would appreciate parents being available at this time.
  • All families/carers where this will impact are being contacted by phone and/or by post.

Developmental Paediatric Service Queries:  

  • For families who are known to the service and have any queries about their child/young person’s developmental paediatric needs during this period of time, we request that you email rather than phone on: csh.dpsenquiries@nhs.net quoting your child’s NHS number. This email will be staffed and queries addressed on a daily basis county wide. However, we do need to alert you to the fact that although the nhs.net email is secure, we cannot guarantee this for emails from personal accounts.

Developmental Paediatric Service Prescriptions

  • For families who are known to the service and need to request a repeat prescription, please email: csh.dpsprescriptionrequest@nhs.net quoting your child’s NHS number. This email will be staffed and prescriptions addressed on a daily basis county wide. However, we do need to alert you to the fact that although the nhs.net email is secure, we cannot guarantee this for emails from personal accounts.

​Child health drop-ins, breastfeeding support groups and other group activities

All child health drop-ins, breastfeeding support groups and other group activities are no longer taking place. 

Health Visiting

Our Health Visiting team continues to support families and new babies, with home visits for vulnerable children and those with urgent needs as a priority.

  • New Birth Visit (10-14 days after the birth of your baby) and 6-8 Week Review: Parents will receive a telephone call to book a telephone appointment with your Health Visitor where we can discuss how you and your baby are, share information you may need and plan together how we can support you and your family.
  • 1 year and 27 month reviews: Parents may now receive a telephone call to discuss a recently sent or returned completed 'Ages and Stages Questionnaire'. We are currently not sending out routine 27 month review clinic appointments. Please call our Advice Line if you would like to discuss your child’s health and progress or visit the 'For Families' section on our website for information and resources to read or download.

Our services and advice available:

  • Our Surrey-wide 0-19 Advice Line for support on all aspects of child health, development and parenting is available on tel. 01883 340 922 – open from 8am to 5pm on weekdays.

  • Our Occupational Therapy Helpline for practical occupational therapy advice, strategies and support to schools, parents/carers and other professionals in relation to a child’s/young person’s functional and independence skills is open Tuesdays and Thursdays, 2pm - 4pm on tel. 07974 230 554.

  • Chat Health: our text service is available to all secondary school children in Surrey on 07507 329 951 - open from 9am to 5pm on weekdays. For anyone aged 11-19 looking for confidential advice on a wide range of issues such as bullying, emotional health and wellbeing, sexual health as well as illnesses. 

  • Safe Space Health: a health and wellbeing website created by school nurses for Surrey students aged 11 to 14.

  • Our website also has a wide range of advice, information and resources in the For Families section.

Other services and advice available: 

Schools and educational provision

School nurses and therapists are supporting children with vulnerable and urgent needs as a priority, other appointments are being  providing via the telephone or video call as an alternative although this does depend on our staffing levels.

On 19 March 2020, the government issued guidance regarding clarity for schools, colleges and local authorities on maintaining educational provision. The guidance states that if you have children who are vulnerable, and parents who are critical to the Covid-19 response, then your children will be prioritised for education provision. You can read the full announcement is here.