This page provides a best practice example for standard 3 of Facing the Future: Together for child health. Using the Connecting Care for Children (CC4C) model from North West London, Dr Jonathan Henderson, Consultant Paediatrician from Craigavon Area Hospital, has established a collaborative integrated child health system that places general practice at the heart of caring for children in County Armagh.
Standard 3: There is a link consultant paediatrician for each local GP practice or group of practices.
Model
- The consultant paediatrician is released from hospital duties to run a single hub made up of three GP practices.
- The paediatric primary care hub runs every four weeks for 1.5 hours and can review up to eight patients per session.
- The hub is attended by a multidisciplinary team (MDT) including consultant paediatricians, paediatric trainees, GPs, GP trainees, Primary Care Practice nurses, hospital Advanced Paediatric Nurse Practitioner, Health Visitors from GP practices, a CAMHS consultant and an Emergency Department associate specialist.
- Accountability for each patient sits with the professional asking the question or bringing the case to the MDT. Once advice is given, the paediatrician will write to the child/young person and their parents and copy in all the health professionals who were in attendance of the hub as well has having information being shared on the electronic care record.
- Should recurring themes arise using referral data, the consultant paediatrician is able to tailor the biannual education sessions that are delivered with professionals working in GP practices to specifically at those group of children.
It is reassuring that the hospital specialists have the same approach as us regarding feeding issues… it provides a united front.