Physiotherapy

How we help

The children’s physiotherapy service at Worthing Hospital and St Richard’s Hospital is run by a small team of physiotherapists. We see children up to their 18th birthday but if your child is 12 years of age or older they may be seen in the adult outpatient department at our hospitals or satellite clinics.

The team work closely with the paediatric doctors, nursing staff, specialist teams like orthopaedics, rheumatology and the chronic pain team, as well as with the community services.

We also work closely with you as parents/carers and your child to get maximum benefits from a physiotherapy programme of activities. We may also need to work with your child’s school or college where needed.

Physiotherapy at St Richard’s Hospital

At St Richard’s Hospital we provide inpatient and clinic physiotherapy, meaning that we only see you or your child if you have been admitted by your doctor on the ward or if your child has been referred to a specialist clinic.

Physiotherapy at Worthing Hospital

At Worthing Hospital we provide both inpatient and outpatient physiotherapy.

In outpatients, your child will attend an appointment at a set time and place, which will usually be the Children’s Centre at Worthing Hospital but may also be at one of our outpatient departments.

Your appointment will be between 20 and 40 minutes. Please bring any of your child’s relevant medical history with you such as radiology reports, consultant letters and their red book and make sure your child has a drink or snack and a toy to play with.

Your child should wear clothing that’s easy to remove for examination. For babies, undressing is kept at a minimum and we advise that you also bring a blanket for warmth.

Conditions we treat

For inpatients we assess and treat or maintain acute conditions such as chest infections, post-surgery, assisting with helping to mobilise and discharge planning as well as long-term conditions such as cystic fibrosis.

For outpatients we assess, advise on and manage conditions such as:

head turning preference and lagiocephaly
Erb’s palsy / brachial plexus injury
Positional Talipes Equino Varus (PTEV) and club foot
symptomatic or painful scoliosis
Scheuermann’s disease
symptomatic or painful joint hypermobility
irritable hip (synovitis)
developmental dysplastic hips
Legg-Calve Perthes disease
Osgood Schlatters disease
Sinding-Larsen-Johasson disease
Sever’s disease
Kohler’s disease
osteochondritis dissecans (OCD)
chondromalacia patellae
anterior knee pain
intoeing gait
tip toe walking
Symptomatic flat feet / Pes Planus
normal development growth variants
any joint pain or discomfort on movement throughout the body
after a fracture or surgery
juvenile arthritis
chronic respiratory conditions (including cystic fibrosis and bronchiectasis)

How to refer

All referrals must come direct from your GP, consultant or health visitor so please discuss your child’s needs with them. At this time we do not accept self-referrals or referrals from education.

Health professionals can email: [email protected]

Where we are

Your appointment letter will tell you where you will be seen, as well as the date and time you need to be there. If your child is under 12 years old they should be seen in the Children’s Centre at Worthing Hospital, which is located in the east wing not far from the main entrance

If your child is under 12 years of age and the appointment you have been given is not at the Children’s Centre, please let the children’s physiotherapy department know on 01903 286712.

Everyone attending a physiotherapy appointment who is under 16 years old needs to be with a parent or guardian. Between the ages of 16 and 18 years old we’ll need consent from your parent or guardian to see you on your own. The therapist may ask a colleague to attend as a chaperone if a parent or guardian is not able to attend.