Health Services

Optometry
Free NHS sight tests are available at any local optician for children under 16 and for young people under 19 in full-time education. They are also available to adults who receive certain benefits or meet the eligibility criteria.

All children and young people should have regular eye tests (usually once per year) to ensure their eyes are working correctly.

Everyone needs to see a dentist, even if your mouth doesn’t hurt or you don’t have any teeth. Most children and young people with SEND will be able to access regular NHS general dental services along with the rest of their family. However, children with greater or more complex needs may need to be referred to the Community Dental Services for their care. 

The aim of the Community Dental Services is to provide dental care for those from vulnerable groups whose needs may not be accommodated in NHS general dental services or may require consultant/specialist led care due to the complex dental needs.

Who can refer a child to the Community Dental Services?

The Community Dental Services would accept children into the service following a referral. Referrals are accepted from general dental practitioners and other health professionals for example: GPs, health visitors, social workers, carers, school nurses, paediatricians.

The Children's Continence Service offer advice, assessment and support to children aged 4 years to 19 years with continence issues (bladder and/or bowel problems). Children must be registered with a GP in Doncaster to access this service.

The Children's Epilepsy Service support children and young people aged 0-19 years who have epilepsy. The Children's Epilepsy Service is part of the Community Long Term Conditions Team. 

Once a young person reaches 19 years old, their care will be transferred to the Specialist Adult Epilepsy Nursing Service. This service also works with adults aged 18+ years, for new referrals.

Both the children and adult epilepsy services provide support to people with epilepsy. This includes regular check ups to review and assess the person's condition which may also include reviewing medication.

The Children’s Diabetes Team provide care for children and young people, aged 0-16 years, who have been diagnosed with diabetes. The service is part of the Long Term Conditions Team. 

If a child turns 16 whilst they are accessing the Children's Diabetes Team, they will keep accessing the Children's Service until around their 19th birthday. After this, the young person will be transferred to a Young Adults Diabetes Service.

Young people who are diagnosed with diabetes from the age of 16 will be referred to the Young Adult Diabetes Team and will remain with them until 24 years of age.

 The Paediatric team are Registered Dietitians who provide dietary advice to children aged 0-16 years old with nutritional problems and their families across Doncaster and Bassetlaw. Paediatric Dietitians are specially trained to enable specialist nutritional care to be provided to infants, children and adolescents to promote optimal growth. . 

Dietitian’s work alongside Paediatricians, Community Children’s Nurses, Health Visitors, School Nurses, Child Development Centres, Speech and Language Therapists and any other staff who may be involved in the care of children.

The service covers most areas of paediatrics, including:

• Enteral feeding
• Faltering growth/Nutritional support
• Cow’s Milk Protein Allergy
• Allergies
• Coeliac disease
• IBS/FODMAPs

• Weight management
• Fussy eating in the absence of faltering growth
• Children with a diagnosis of avoidance restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID)

In Doncaster, palliative care is offered by Bluebell Wood Children’s Hospice. Bluebell Wood offers care and support to children and young people with a shortened life expectancy, both in their own homes and at their hospice in North Anston. 

Children and young people can receive care from the service until they reach 25 years old, but new referrals can only be made up to a young person's 19th birthday. 

They offer advice, support, and appropriate treatment based on assessments.

Offer assessment and advice and/or treatment for children and their families who have a range of conditions or difficulties including:

• Fine motor difficulties
• Self-care skills such as dressing or cutlery
• Development coordination disorder (we are not a diagnostic service)
• Neurological disorders or developmental delay
• Specialist equipment
• Postural management
• Sensory (advice only)
• Chronic fatigue

Offer assessment and advice and/or treatment for children and their families who have a range of conditions or difficulties (we do not diagnose) including:

• Flat head problems known as  ‘Plagiocephaly’
• Muscle and joint problems
• Neurological disorders or developmental delay
• Developmental co-ordination disorder

The Children’s Speech and Language Therapy Service supports children and young people in Doncaster and Bassetlaw who have difficulties with communication, or with eating, drinking, and swallowing.

The majority of children seen have difficulties with:

• understanding what is said to them
• expressing themselves
• talking clearly (saying speech sounds)
• stammering
• eating and drinking

• Speech and Language Therapy Service Page

• General Development Assessment (GDA)