Young Barts Health at Mile End Hospital

Our asthma and allergy nursing team supports children and young people who have asthma, allergies, or eczema – sometimes called atopy conditions.

We work closely with families, schools, and other healthcare professionals to make sure children get the help they need to manage their condition and stay well. This includes education, practical advice, and awareness sessions in schools and the community.

What we do

• Specialist advice and education: we help families, schools, and other professionals understand how to manage asthma, allergies, and eczema effectively.
• Referrals: we accept referrals from GPs, hospitals, schools, and parents.
• Awareness sessions: we run training and information sessions for school staff, children, and young people to help everyone understand these conditions and how to support them.

When we prioritise referrals

Some children need more urgent help. We treat referrals as high priority if your child has:

• Recently been in hospital for asthma or had 2 or more wheezing flare-ups in the last 6 months
• Been using their blue inhaler (Salbutamol) more than twice a week, or has had more than 6 inhalers in a year
• Poorly controlled symptoms (for example missing school, struggling with exercise, low score on an asthma control test)
• A treatment plan at BTS asthma step 4 or above
• Concerns raised by parents, carers, or professionals about taking medication correctly

What to expect from your child’s assessment

The asthma and allergy nursing team may see you:

• At a face-to-face clinic appointment
• Over the phone
• At home

During the assessment, we will:

• Talk about your child’s health history, including wheezing, hospital visits, and any family history of allergies or asthma
• Look at possible triggers (such as dust, pollen, or pets) and ways to avoid them
• Review your child’s medication and how to use it properly
• Do an asthma control test and measure their breathing (peak flow)
• Give you a personalised care plan and information booklet to help you manage their condition day to day

Our team is here to make sure your child has the right support, knowledge, and tools to stay healthy and active, whether at home, school, or out in the community.

Useful information

Learn more on how to manage your child's medical condition

• How to manage your child asthma and wheeze booklet in different languages
• How to manage your child's eczema booklet 
• How to apply your eczema creams videos
• Anaphylaxis and you video
• Air pollution and you video in different languages

Contact us

Phone us: 07591 989 962, Monday to Friday, 8am — 6pm

Email us

Single point of access referral form for specialist community children's services [doc] 155KB

What is autism spectrum disorder (ASD)?

Autism is something you are born with and live with for your whole life. Nobody knows exactly what causes autism, but it can sometimes run in families.

Being autistic is not an illness or disease – it simply means that your brain works differently from other people’s. Autism is called a spectrum condition because it affects people in different ways. Each autistic person has their own unique strengths and challenges.

Some differences autistic people may experience include:

• Finding communication and social interaction more difficult
• Struggling to understand how others think or feel
• Feeling overwhelmed or uncomfortable with certain sounds, smells, lights, or other sensory experiences
• Feeling anxious in new situations, social events, or when plans change unexpectedly
• Taking longer to process or understand information, or misinterpreting what’s said
• Repeating actions or thinking about things in the same way over and over

Who is in the ASD assessment service (ASDAS) team?

Our team includes:

• Specialist doctors (Paediatricians)
• Occupational therapists (OTs)
• Speech and language therapists (SLTs)
• Clinical psychologists

Families of children under 5 also have access to a social worker, who can offer information about local services and short breaks after a diagnosis is made.

What to expect during an autism assessment

We know waiting times for assessments are currently long, but we are working hard to see families as quickly as possible.

An autism assessment usually runs from 9:30am to 1:00pm. In most cases, we aim to give you a conclusion on the same day. Sometimes we need more information or extra assessments, and if that’s the case, we’ll let you know.

The assessment may include:

• A detailed conversation with you (parents or carers) about your child’s development and behaviour
• A direct session with your child to look at their communication, play and interaction skills
• A medical and/or developmental check-up
• A team discussion to review all the information gathered
• Feedback on the outcome of the assessment
• A written final report

What happens after the assessment?

At the end of the process, the team will meet with you to explain the findings. We’ll tell you whether your child meets the criteria for an autism diagnosis and answer any questions you have.

We’ll also talk about what support and services may be helpful for your child and family. A member of your child’s school staff is welcome to attend this meeting with you if you wish.

If your child is diagnosed as autistic, you’ll receive an information pack about local support. We can also help signpost you to services that offer post-diagnostic support.

Useful information

Tower Hamlets Local Offer: Providers / National Autistic Society

Autism (ASD) information and support

Contact us

Phone us: 020 7767 3322 (option 2)

Visit us: Mile End Hospital, 275 Bancroft Road, London, E1 4DG

Email us

Autism spectrum disorder assessment service (ASDAS) referral form [docx] 166KB

Our children’s community nursing service is here to support children and young people who need nursing care at home, in school, or in other community settings.

We work with families to make sure children get high-quality, specialist nursing care outside of hospital whenever possible. This helps avoid unnecessary hospital stays and makes coming home from hospital quicker and easier.

We care for children and young people aged 0–18 years (or up to 19 if attending a special school) who need short-term (acute) or long-term (chronic) nursing support.

How we can help

Our nurses work in partnership with parents and carers to:

• Avoid hospital admissions where it’s safe to care for your child at home
• Support early discharge from hospital
• Give specialist nursing advice so you feel confident and able to care for your child
• Work closely with other professionals to make sure everyone involved in your child’s care is connected and informed

Our services include:

• Community nursing visits for children at home or in school
• Children’s continence service
• Children’s continuing care for more complex needs
• Nursing support for special schools
• Paediatric nurse training for families and carers
• Specialist eczema nursing advice and support

What to expect during a visit

Our visits are designed to make your child feel comfortable and supported. A typical visit may include:

• Introduction and assessment
  • The nurse will introduce themselves and explain why they are visiting.
  • They will ask about your child’s health history, current condition, and any concerns you have.
  • They may check things like temperature, heart rate, or oxygen levels.
• Care and treatment
  • Depending on your child’s needs, the nurse may provide care such as wound dressings, blood tests, tube feeding support, or other treatments.
  • We also provide specialist care for children with complex needs, including palliative care.
• Education and advice
  • The nurse will show you how to care for your child at home, including how to give medicines, spot signs of illness, and use any medical equipment.
• Emotional and practical support
  • We understand that caring for a child with health needs can feel overwhelming. Our nurses can offer reassurance and advice and connect you with other support services if needed.
• Planning next steps
  • Before leaving, the nurse will explain whether more visits are needed and what to do in case of concerns or emergencies.
  • They may give you a written care plan and contact details for extra support.

All visits are recorded on your child’s electronic health record so that their doctors, nurses, and other professionals know what care they’ve received and can plan next steps.

Contact us

Visit us: The Bridge, Mile End Hospital, Bancroft Road, E1 4DG. We are here Monday to Friday 8am – 6pm and 10am — 4pm on weekends and bank holidays.

Phone us: 020 7767 3322 (option 1)

Email us

Single point of access referral form for specialist community children's services [doc] 155KB

We support children and young people aged 4 to 19 who are experiencing problems with bladder or bowel control. Our aim is to improve quality of life by helping families manage continence issues with the right advice, treatment and support.

Our service is for children and young people living in Tower Hamlets, and we work closely with families, schools, healthcare teams and social care professionals.

What we can help with

We support children and young people with:

• Daytime wetting
• Bedwetting (nocturnal enuresis)
• Constipation and related continence issues
• Continence problems linked to neurological or developmental conditions

What we offer

• Detailed assessment of your child’s continence needs
• Personalised care plans developed with your child and family
• Advice and education on managing bladder and bowel health
• Support with using continence products or equipment
• Close working with schools, GPs and other health professionals

We take a child-centred approach, helping each child and young person gain more independence and confidence, while reducing the stress that continence issues can cause.

Working with families

We encourage parents, carers and young people to actively take part in the care process, so we can work together to reach the best outcomes. We’ll guide you through every step and adapt plans to suit your child’s needs and routines.

Useful resources

Advice for children with night time wetting

Understanding bedwetting

Advice for children with constipation

Understanding childhood constipation

Guide to potty and toilet training

Potty training children with additional needs

Contact us

Phone us: 020 8223 8362

Email us

Refer to us using the single point of access referral form for specialist community children's services [doc] 155KB

What is the neurodevelopmental clinic?

Sometimes, doctors or teachers may notice that a child’s development is a bit different from what they’d expect. If that happens, your child may be referred to the neurodevelopmental clinic.

At this clinic, we look at all areas of a child’s development – how they learn, play, move, and grow. We do this by talking to you about your child’s medical and developmental history, carrying out checks and, for children under 5, doing a play-based developmental assessment.

Our team includes children’s doctors (paediatricians), advanced clinical practitioners, and specialist nurses who work together to understand your child’s needs and find the right support.

What happens during the appointment?

You and your child will meet a clinician who will:

• Ask questions about your child’s health and development, starting from pregnancy through to now.
• Carry out a developmental assessment if your child is under 5 years old.
• Do a physical check-up. This might include measuring your child’s height, weight, and head size, listening to their chest, and checking their movement and strength.

Once the assessment is done, we’ll talk through what support your child might need. Together, we’ll agree the next steps, which could include:

• Advice and guidance for you and your child
• Referrals to other services who can help
• Medicines, if there’s a medical problem that can be treated this way

Helpful things to know

• We have some toys in the waiting area and clinic rooms, but you’re welcome to bring your child’s favourite toy or something comforting to help them feel at ease.
• Snacks are allowed during the appointment if your child needs one.

Contact us

Phone: 020 7767 3322 (choose option 2: community paediatrics)

Email us

Single point of access referral form for specialist community children's services [doc] 155KB

Special educational needs

Your child’s school or nursery might use the words SEN or SEND. They mean similar things but are slightly different:

• SEND stands for Special Educational Needs and Disabilities. It includes all children with disabilities, even if they don’t have special educational needs.
• SEN stands for Special Educational Needs. This focuses on children who need extra help with learning but may not have a disability.

Not all children with SEN have a disability, and not all children with disabilities have SEN. Schools often use the terms interchangeably, so don’t worry if you hear both.

What are special educational needs?

All children may find learning tricky at times. Most of the time, these challenges can be supported at home and school.

Some children need extra help or different types of support to learn and achieve their best. This may be because of:

• A diagnosed medical condition
• A disability
• Other difficulties with learning, even without a formal diagnosis

If this applies to your child, they may be described as having Special Educational Needs (SEN).

What to expect at your appointment

Your child might be offered a medical appointment as part of:

• An education, health and care needs assessment (EHCNA), or
• A special educational needs (SEN) medical assessment

This appointment helps us check if there are any health needs affecting your child’s learning or development.

During the appointment, a children’s doctor (paediatrician) will:

• Talk with you about your concerns and how your child is doing at home, nursery or school
• Ask about your child’s health and development in detail
• Carry out a physical examination, and possibly a developmental assessment (especially for younger children)

The information we gather will help guide thehealth part of your child’s education, health and care plan.

Language support

If you need an interpreter, please tell us the language you’d like to speak when you book. We’ll arrange this for your appointment.

If you need to change your appointment

If you can’t attend, please contact us as soon as possible. We’ll do our best to offer you a new date and time.

What happens next?

After your appointment, you’ll receive a written report. This is also shared with your child’s SEN officer at the local authority. The report will help everyone involved understand what support and services might help your child’s learning and development.

Contact us

Tower Hamlets & City SEND Information, Advice and Support Service (SENDIASS)

Independent and confidential service offering advice, information, and support to children and young people with SEND and their parents/carers.

Phone: 020 7364 6489

Email the team

Tower Hamlets Local Offer

Provides information about services, support, and activities for children and young people aged 0–25 with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

Phone: 020 7364 6495

Email the team

Our children’s community therapies team provides support for children and young people who need help with movement, everyday activities, communication, eating or drinking. The team includes occupational therapists (OTs), physiotherapists (PTs), and speech and language therapists (SLTs) who work together to help children develop skills and take part in daily life at home, school, and in the community.

We work in close partnership with families, education staff, and other professionals. If English isn’t your first language, we can arrange for an interpreter to make sure you feel fully supported.

We offer universal, targeted, and specialist support. Many children’s needs can be met through everyday routines and activities, so we’ll show you practical ways to help your child develop their skills in real-life settings.

By working together, we aim to give every child the support they need to develop their skills, gain independence, and thrive at home, in school, and in their community.

How we work with families

We offer a range of multidisciplinary therapy pathways, including:

• Early complex needs therapies pathway (early intervention) – for babies and children up to 5 years old with complex needs requiring ongoing input from OT, physiotherapy, and speech and language therapy.
• Early social communication differences (SCD) pathway – for children up to 5 years old with social communication differences, including autism. Families first access group sessions in children and family centres or online, followed by specialist targeted support if needed.
• Upper limb therapy pathway – for children aged 8 months to 4 years who have difficulty using one arm or hand.

Speech and language therapy (SLT)

SLT supports children with communication challenges or difficulties with eating, drinking, or swallowing.

Services include:

• Early support for children under 5 with speech, language or sound difficulties, often through group sessions like Little Talkers.
• Therapy in schools (funded directly by schools) for children with developmental language disorder, autism, learning disabilities, or other communication needs.
• Specialist clinics, including:
  • Eating and drinking pathway for swallowing difficulties (dysphagia).
  • Deafness pathway for children with long-term severe hearing loss.
  • Complex needs pathway for children in special schools.
  • Stammering clinic and speech sound clinic.

Occupational therapy (OT)

OT helps children take part in the activities that matter most – like getting dressed, playing, joining in school activities, and building independence.

We work with children who have developmental delays, disabilities, or medical conditions that make daily tasks harder. We may:

• Coach parents and teachers on techniques to support the child.
• Teach new skills and suggest different ways of doing tasks.
• Recommend adaptations or equipment.
• Run online workshops for parents.
• Build confidence for families and schools to support the child effectively.

Services include:

• Parent workshops for children of all ages.
• Support for under 5s via the early complex needs and SCD pathways.
• Assessment and therapy for 5–19-year-olds in home or school settings.
• Support for children in special schools.
• Clinics for splinting and developmental coordination disorder (DCD) assessments.
• Support for preparing for adulthood with our ready steady go programme.

What to expect from an OT assessment:

• A one-hour screening clinic at Mile End Hospital (or other agreed setting).
• Discussion of your child’s strengths, challenges, and goals.
• Observations of your child carrying out everyday activities.
• A joint plan agreed with you to help your child take part more fully in daily life.

Physiotherapy (PT)

Physiotherapy helps babies, children, and young people with movement difficulties caused by medical conditions, delayed motor development, or after an injury or surgery.

We assess your child’s physical abilities and create an individual programme to help them move, play, and take part in everyday activities. Therapy usually takes place at Mile End Hospital, schools, children’s centres, or at home.

We support children with:

• Neurological or neuromuscular conditions (e.g., cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy).
• Prematurity or complex birth history.
• Developmental delays in rolling, sitting, crawling, walking.
• Congenital abnormalities or syndromes affecting movement.
• Rehabilitation needs following surgery or injury.
• Rheumatological conditions, walking or posture concerns.

What to expect from a physiotherapy assessment:

• A one-hour appointment with you and your child.
• Questions about their strengths, difficulties, and any concerns.
• Observation of your child’s movements (older children should bring shorts).
• A tailored therapy plan with goals agreed with you.
• Referrals to other services if needed.
• Sessions that teach you and your child activities to practise at home and in daily routines.