Children's Therapy

The Children's Therapy team covers the three specialities of dietetics, occupational therapy and physiotherapy.

 

Dietetics

The Dietetics Team manages children’s diets to make sure they meet their nutritional requirements. They also monitor children’s growth and development. The team delivers care to children in a number of specialties including:

  • Critical care
  • Cystic Fibrosis
  • Diabetes and Endocrinology
  • Eating disorders
  • Gastro Surgery and Gastroenterology
  • Home enteral feeding
  • Ketogenic diet
  • Metabolic
  • Neonatology
  • Oncology
  • Renal

 

Physiotherapy

Our physiotherapy team helps restore children’s movement and function after surgery, illness or injury. We can also help to reduce the risk of injury or illness in the future. We work directly with all members of the multidisciplinary team both in and outside of the Nottingham Children’s Hospital.

We have a physiotherapy gym, complete with changing rooms, where we see both in and outpatients. We also have access to a variety of equipment including walking aids, exercise equipment, respiratory adjuncts, orthotics, ventilation equipment and postural management equipment.

 

Occupational Therapy

The Children’s Occupational Therapy Team may see you after you have had an illness/injury or stay in hospital.

You may find certain activities around the home a bit more difficult. We may assess you for specialist equipment to help get you home from hospital and talk about how you can adapt your home environment to make things easier.

We work directly with all members of the multidisciplinary team both in and outside of the Nottingham Children’s Hospital, with inpatients and outpatients.

Specialist therapy teams

Brain Injury Living Life (BRILL)

The BRILL team aims to provide early assessment, early discharge planning and rehabilitation. They will get involved in supporting a child as early as possible after a brain injury and work to enable the child to go home to their family as soon as they are well enough by arranging further therapy and support after discharge home.

 

Burns

Our physiotherapists look after children who have a burn injury that involves a joint. If they have a hand injury, that is managed by a burns and plastic consultant. We see patients both on the wards and in the burns and plastic outpatient clinic.

 

Cystic fibrosis

The paediatric cystic fibrosis (CF) physiotherapy team supports children's and young people cystic fibrosis patients and their families from diagnosis through to their transition to adults. They see inpatients, outpatients and clinic reviews and also offer community visits at home and at school as needed.

 

Long term ventiliation (home)

We provide support across Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire and Lincolnshire for any child on home ventilation wherever the child requires it - in hospital, at home, at school, in respite etc.

We assess and monitor lung function, cough strength and secretion clearance, and use specialist techniques to promote chest clearance, lung growth and development with children who are already on home ventilation or who will need ventilation in the future. 

We also support parents by assessing the home environment and assessing and advising on suitable pushchairs, and we liaise with community services for support when discharged.

 

Neonatal and development support

We will see your baby if they were born very pre-term or had complications around delivery which may affect their movements and development. We will monitor your baby’s development and give you advice about handling and activities which will help you support your baby as they learn to move.

 

Neurodevelopment

Our Neurodevelopmental occupational therapists and physiotherapists provide assessment and treatment for children who are not progressing as expected with their development. Our role is to identify at what level a child is functioning, identify goals for development and work alongside parents, play specialists and ward staff to bring the child’s development forward with a play and development program. 

 

Oncology

We can help oncology patients to keep moving. During oncology treatment patients may experience loss of muscle strength and range of movement, making them feel uncomfortable. We aim to help reduce these effects by providing exercises such as gentle stretching and strengthening.

 

Orthopaedics

We work with children both on our orthopaedic ward and in our outpatient department. Our goals are to help in reducing pain and restoring function.

 

Rapid response

We help look after children in the community who have severe neurodisability and a long term respiratory condition. These patients may have difficulty clearing their secretions and may be prone to chest infections.

 

Respiratory

We see children who have problems with their lungs, such as a chest infection or a condition like asthma. We also help children recover if they have been very ill on the paediatric intensive care unit.

We work closely with the respiratory and medical teams to provide a physiotherapy service to outpatients with chronic respiratory problems including cystic fibrosis (CF), bronchiectasis and primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD).

 

Rheumatology

We aim to maximise a child or young person’s levels of mobility, strength, flexibility and fitness by improving muscle strength, muscle balance and cardiovascular fitness. We also develop strategies to help reduce pain, manage ‘flares’ and help children to understand their condition.