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Changes to paediatric audiology services in Croydon

From June 2024, we will be contacting some families and children in Croydon identified as needing ongoing specialist paediatric audiology care, to let them know that their care is being transferred to Evelina London’s paediatric audiology service, part of Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust.

This means that around 500 patients and their families will need to travel to a different south London location for their appointment.

Families that are eligible for the Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme can continue to have their costs met for travel to those locations.

Families who are not eligible for the Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme but who feel the travel costs will cause financial hardship, can contact the Trust for further support by emailing andreacuff@nhs.net

This will be a temporary change to the care pathway while Croydon Health Services NHS Trust and NHS South West London continue to review how we can best support their local patients going forward.

We will be discussing these changes and our future plans with relevant patient groups as well as Healthwatch Croydon to make sure we are doing so in the best way for local families.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

• Am I/is my child affected by these changes?

  Around 500 (25%) of patients currently being treated by Croydon Health Services NHS Trust will be transferred to Evelina London‘s paediatric audiology service to continue their care.

The majority of babies and children in Croydon currently receiving audiology care, but who don’t need specialist audiology support, will continue to be treated by Croydon Health Services NHS Trust.

  Only the families of babies and children whose care is moving Evelina London will be contacted. If you don’t receive a letter, where you receive you care and treatment will not be changed.

•   What does ‘specialist audiology care’ mean?

Around 2,000 babies and children are currently seen at Croydon Health Services NHS Trust, of which, around 500 require specialist audiology care. This might be because they are very young babies found to have a permanent hearing loss, because they have multiple disabilities or because consideration needs to be given to the need of hearing aids.

•   What will be different in the care I/my child receives?

Evelina London’s paediatric audiology service is an accredited paediatric service with advanced facilities , and is part of Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust. You can find out about Evelina London’s paediatric audiology service on service pages of the Evelina London website .

• How can I book an appointment with the audiology team at Evelina London?

If your child’s care is being transferred to Evelina London, Croydon Health Services NHS Trust will write to you to let you know.  Evelina London paediatric audiology service will then contact you in the coming weeks to book your child in for an appointment.

If you do not receive a letter from Croydon Health Services NHS Trust to tell you your child’s care is moving, your child’s audiology care will remain in Croydon.

•   How long will I/my child have to wait for an appointment?

It is not possible to give an exact timeframe. The Evelina London paediatric audiology service aims to offer an appointment to all transferred babies and children by September 2024. 

• Will my existing appointments be moved across with the same timeframe, so that I/my child can receive timely follow up care?

If your child had an appointment booked with Croydon and your child’s care is being transferred to Evelina London’s paediatric audiology service, Croydon Health Services NHS Trust will write to you to explain your child’s care is moving to Evelina London. The Evelina London team will then contact you to arrange a new appointment with their service. 

If your child was on the waiting list for an appointment with Croydon Health Services NHS Trust’s paediatric audiology service, and your child is being transferred to Evelina London, Croydon will send you a letter explaining this. Then in the coming weeks, the Evelina London team will contact you to arrange an appointment. 

Evelina London’s paediatric audiology service aims to offer an appointment to all transferred babies and children by September 2024. 

•   What will happen at my first appointment at Evelina London?

What happens at your child’s first appointment will depend on your child’s medical history and the type of appointment they are attending. Evelina London encourages parents/carers to bring along any relevant information or questions they may have about their child’s current condition to the appointment.

  We recommend you bring:

• Your child’s red book
• Letters from professionals involved in your child’s care

 

•   Will my medical records/treatment history be shared?

When the Evelina London team see your child for the first time, they will have access to some information from their previous audiology service. Please take along any records or information you feel it is important for them to know.

We recommend you bring:

• Your child’s red book
• Letters from professionals involved in your child’s care

 

• How can I comment or complain if I am not happy with the service at Evelina?

  Evelina London works hard to give the highest standards of care but sometimes things can go wrong. 

If this happens, they will do all that we can to put things right for you as quickly as possible and do our best to make sure the same thing doesn't happen again. If you have a comment or concern about Evelina London service or the care your child receives, it is best to try to sort it out straight away by speaking with a member of staff.

 

Evelina London’s  Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS)  provides support to patients, families and visitors. If you are not satisfied with their response, you can make a formal complaint through the Trust’s usual process. Official complaints | Evelina London

•   What services will remain in Croydon?

  Croydon Health Services NHS Trust will continue to deliver routine audiology screening and care.

• My care is remaining with Croydon Health Services NHS Trust. How can I be assured of the quality of services?

We have invested in diagnostic equipment to support ongoing hearing screening and have been working with our clinical teams to improve our processes and systems, maintain staffing levels and offer additional training.

  What is happening to the school screening service?

  Croydon Health Services NHS Trust will continue to deliver the local schools screening service.

  What does ‘temporary change’ mean?

  This is a temporary change to the location of services while Croydon Health Services NHS Trust and NHS South West London continue to review how they can best support their local patients going forward. However, patients whose care is transferred to the Evelina London will be able to continue to be seen by the Evelina London paediatric audiology service until they are 18, to ensure continuity in their care.

We will discuss these changes and future ones with relevant local patient groups and Healthwatch to help us make sure we are doing so in the best way for local families, and before any decision about a permanent location and provider of services is made.

• Where will the new children’s audiology services be delivered?

  Evelina London’s paediatric audiology service is delivered from a number of locations, including at St Thomas’ Hospital and in community sites in Streatham, Lewisham and Peckham. Wherever possible, Evelina London will provide care to babies and children at their family’s preferred location. However, where they will see the baby or child will be based on clinical need, family preferences and the availability of appointments. 

  A number of services are only offered at some locations and families may be asked to travel further for specialist treatment. Babies under 6 months’ old or children with complex needs will need to be seen at St Thomas’ Hospital.

  If you have any questions while you are waiting for Evelina London to contact you about your child’s appointment, please contact our PALs team on 020 8401 3210 or ch-tr.pals@nhs.ne

• Can I choose which location I visit for my/my child’s care?

Wherever possible, Evelina London will provide care to babies and children at their family’s preferred location. However, where they will see the baby or child will be based on clinical need, family preferences and the availability of appointments. 

•   What support is available for me/my family to help with transport arrangements?

  For most appointments and checks, families will be offered the choice of four delivery locations:

·         The Children and Young People’s Audiology Centre at St Thomas’ Hospital

·         Kaleidoscope Child Development Centre, SE6 4 JF

·         Sunshine House Children and Young People’s Development Centre, Peckham Road SE5 8UH

·         Gracefield Gardens Health Centre, Streatham

  While some treatments which can only be provided from St Thomas’ Hospital, wherever possible, families will be able to choose the clinic most easily accessible to them.

  Families that are eligible for the Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme   will have their costs met for travel to those locations. If you are not eligible for the Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme and the travel costs will cause financial hardship, please contact the Trust by emailing andreacuff@nhs.net where we can consider options to assist you. 

• Why are these changes being made?

In 2021 and 2022, Croydon Health Services NHS Trust commissioned independent reviews into its paediatric audiology services. These reviews identified the need to make some significant changes to the service to ensure the delivery of high-quality care. 

The findings of the independent review and actions taken have been shared with leaders in health and social care across the borough and a clear action plan was agreed, addressing leadership and training, documentation processes, recruitment and retention.

Following this, a decision was made to transfer the care of babies and children with specialist audiology needs to a UKAS-accredited provider.

•  H ow will the views and experiences of families and young people be used to shape future plans?

In the coming months we will be working across south west London to review children’s audiology services to ensure that they meet the recommendations set out in NHSE’s Paediatric Hearing Services Improvement Programme.

NHS England » Paediatric Hearing Services Improvement Programme: system recommendations for immediate action

We will be working closely with families and young people as we shape plans for the future. This may include surveys, focus groups or outreach events. Opportunities to get involved will be advertised on our website here