Yes

The Children & Adolescent Mental Health Service

· May 20, 2021 ·

CAMHS stands for Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services. These services work with children and young people (up to their 18th birthday), and their parents or carers.

For children under five it can be best to have an initial meeting with their Health Visitor, Public Health or School Nurse in the first instance and more specialist support can then be brought in if needed.

When we are asked to help a child or young person, a referral usually comes from their family doctor (GP), health visitor, social worker or sometimes from school. They need to ask your permission before contacting us. Families can also ask their family doctor or school if they would like their child to be referred to our team.

NHS Lothian CAMHS is made up of a number of different teams. The CAMHS team meets regularly with other professionals and works closely with them to put the best support in place for each child or young person.

For further information, access NHS Lothian CAMHS

Emergency Department

· Apr 2, 2021 ·

The Emergency Department is open 24/7, 365 days a year and provides high-quality emergency care for babies, children and young people aged 0-15. Once a child reaches their 16th birthday, they should go to an adult Emergency Department (available at the Royal Infirmary for Edinburgh, St, John’s Hospital in Livingston or the Borders General Hospital).

For urgent care that is not life-threatening, all patients are advised to call NHS 24 by phoning 111, day or night. NHS 24 is available 24/7 and can help families find the most suitable treatment they need at a convenient location, which might not always be the Emergency Department.

The Emergency Department does not provide the following:

Telephone advice
Treatment of minor illnesses
Second opinions on pre-existing conditions

Further information is available in the ‘Right Care, Right Place’ tab below, about types of care and where it can be found.

Coming to the Emergency Department

The children’s Emergency Department at the RHCYP has a dedicated entrance, which can be found by following the signs from Gate 2. Follow the red ‘Accident & Emergency’ signs if you are coming by car or taxi. There is a short-stay drop-off point and turning circle, with longer-stay free visitor car parking available around the campus.

Patients should report to reception on arrival, where some details will be taken before an assessment by an experienced triage nurse to determine the severity of their condition. It is likely that there will be some waiting time between stages of treatment and patients are not always seen in order of arrival. Children with more severe or urgent conditions will be prioritised and will be seen sooner than some of those who arrived earlier. There are toys, games and TVs to help distract children and young people during waiting times.

Royal Hospital for Children & Young People
Address: 50 Little France Cres, Edinburgh EH16 4TJ
Directions for the Royal Hospital for Children & Young People

St. John’s Hospital
Address: Howden West Rd & Howden W, Livingston EH54 6PP
St. John’s Hospital Emergency Department is open 24/7, 365 days a week and can treat babies and children.
Directions for St. John’s Hospital

Breathing support & Ventilation

· Mar 22, 2021 ·

Breathing problems may be discovered after birth, can be something that develops over time or due to an infection or accident. WellChild Respiratory Clinical Nurse Specialists (CNS) provide essential care and practical support to children and young people with exceptional health needs and families. They play a crucial role in enabling children to leave the hospital and be cared for at home, reducing the practical, emotional and financial impact for families. There are two WellChild Nurse Specialists helping children and young people across the Lothian area, the wider South-East of Scotland and Tayside regions whose long-term and complex health problems mean they need medical support for their airway and or breathing.

Cystic Fibrosis

· Mar 22, 2021 ·

Cystic Fibrosis (CF) is a condition that affects a child’s lungs, digestive system and other organs. The CF team cares for patients and their families from diagnosis (usually as a baby through Newborn Screening) through to transition to adult services.

Some children with CF can have some problems gaining weight or with chest infections, but the majority of our patients have near-normal lives. The team here at the Royal Hospital for Children and Young People (RHCYP) support children and young people living with this disease, as well as their families, through their early years and adolescence. Our aim is to keep children with CF as well as they can be so that they can achieve all the things that they want to do.

The CF team, based at the RHCYP, provides outpatient and in-patient care for children and young people with CF. We are a multidisciplinary team, which means a team of specialists all working together and can include consultants, specialist nurses, dietitians, physiotherapists and a psychologist. We also work with other teams and departments whenever they are involved in the care of a child with CF.

two newborn babies are lying on the colourful bedding. In front of them there are adults who are holding and shaking rattles

Newborn Screening & Diagnosis

CF can be diagnosed at any age. In the UK, all babies have the newborn blood spot screening test at around 5-8 days old, with parental consent. The team at the RHCYP is informed of all babies suspected to have a diagnosis of CF within the area they cover.

Two experienced members of the CF will arrange to visit the baby at home as soon as practically possible. This is usually a doctor and a nurse (and sometimes a health visitor if the family has already met them) who give the family information, guidance and support during the initial stages of diagnosis.

This can be a very difficult and challenging time for families and it is important that they are given reliable, accurate information at the right time.

An outpatient appointment is usually made for the baby and their family to come to the RHCYP and meet the rest of the CF team as soon as possible. Tests to confirm the diagnosis will be carried out as soon as possible.

These include blood tests for genetic testing and a sweat test. Download the sweat test PDF file.

After this first appointment, babies with a new diagnosis of CF will be seen at weekly clinic appointments where plans for their care and overall health monitoring will be made.

There is a play specialist holding a toy monkey. Next to the play specialist there is a woman who is smiling and holding a little boy in football uniform. He is using Stethoscope on a toy monkey

Play

Young child playing on a table

The Play Service exists to help children, young people and their families understand about and cope with treatment, procedures, equipment and their feelings. It is a service available for all families, whether coming for an in-patient stay or a visit to the Emergency Department or a clinic.

Being able to play and join in with activities is an important part of the care that children and young people receive across NHS Lothian, including at the Royal Hospital for Children and Young People in Edinburgh and St. John’s Hospital Livingston.

Play services are led by registered Health Play Specialists who are qualified with a Diploma or Degree in Healthcare Play Specialism. Play assistants and nursery nurses also work within our hospitals and all have a childcare qualification as well as experience in play work and child development.

Why is play in the hospital important?

Play helps children to express their feelings. For children in hospital, play becomes even more important as it can help them understand their illness and treatment, bring a feeling of normality and help them to relax in strange surroundings.

Children can be given the chance to touch and handle medical equipment and can role-play with preparation dolls (or their favourite toy) under the guidance and supervision of play staff.

Play can be an escape from feeling unwell or scared, or a welcome distraction when children are bored or restless. Play also:

Releases surplus energy.
Stimulates muscle growth and motor coordination.
Provides the opportunity to practice actions useful in adult life.
Develops imagination.
Develops language skills.
Provides a rest from reality and relieves boredom.
Allows children to express their feelings.
Builds up confidence and can help to prevent young patients from becoming distressed or withdrawn.

young child playing with white paint, which they have got all over them

Yes

Newborn Screening & Diagnosis

Why is play in the hospital important?

More Information

Contact NHS Lothian