Health services for additional needs

Universal health services

Visit our page about universal health services to find out how to book GP appointments, contact NHS dentists, and get ear and eye tests.

The Family Nurse Partnership, a team of specially trained family nurses, works with younger parents, providing support and current information from early pregnancy until your child is about two-years-old.

For children under 5, you may need to speak to the Health Visiting Service. They support the parents of newborns, offering guidance and support from the antenatal period until the child begins school. They address developmental concerns such as sleep, diet, toilet training, movement, and speech.

School and college nurses work with children, young people, and their families to support and promote physical and mental health and wellbeing. They frequently work with school safeguarding and other professionals to ensure the safety and wellness of children and young people. They offer advice on health choices, including healthy eating, sexual health, and substance misuse.

A specialist team delivers vaccinations to children and young people aged 5-16 in schools and community settings across Oxfordshire.

Targeted health services

These are programs or interventions designed to meet unique health needs. Below are particular services that may be listed on an education, health and care plan (EHCP) or recommended to you.

Speech and Language Therapy service

The service supports children and young people with speech, language, and communication difficulties in developing the best possible communication skills. For some, this might be spoken communication, and for others, it might be learning to use a communication aid or an approach based on signs, symbols, or gestures.

Find out more at Speech and Language Therapy - Children’s Integrated Therapies.

Occupational therapy

The Occupational Therapy Service helps children participate in everyday life and become as independent as possible at school and home. They provide assessments, advice, activity programmes and therapy for children with a range of physical or developmental conditions that affect their daily lives.

Find out more at Occupational Therapy - Children’s Integrated Therapies.

Physiotherapy

Supporting children and young people who have delayed physical development or a physical disability or condition that impacts their ability to move and take part in activities at home or in school.

Find out more at Physiotherapy - Children’s Integrated Therapies.

Mental health

The Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) provides support for children's and young people's mental health.

CAMHS helps children and young people up to 18 who are finding it hard to cope with everyday life because of difficult feelings, behaviour or relationships. Most of the time, when we are sad, angry, stressed or worried, these feelings pass within a few days, but if they go on for a while and stop us from enjoying and coping with life, then CAMHS can help. Just as we go to the doctor when we are physically ill, sometimes we need extra help with our mental health.

Find out more at Oxfordshire - Oxford Health CAMHS.

Children’s Bladder and Bowel Service

We are a small nurse-led team providing support and care for children registered with an Oxfordshire GP between 2 and 18 years, experiencing ongoing bladder and bowel problems

Find out more at Children’s Bladder and Bowel Service - Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust.

Children’s Community Nursing Service

The Children’s Community Nursing Service (CCN) is a well-established team of experienced children’s nurses. The nurses are directly involved with children, helping parents provide treatment and monitoring their progress. We work in partnership with the family and other professionals who may be involved in supporting the family.

Find out more at Children’s Community Nursing – Oxfordshire - Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust.

Community paediatrics

Children’s Community Paediatrics (OUH) offers a comprehensive range of community paediatric medical services for Oxfordshire. Six consultant-led teams provide locality-based services, while the consultants also lead several district-wide specialist services and find support for a range of disabilities and needs.

Find out more at Community Paediatrics - Children's Services.

Cleft lip and palate

The specialist multi-agency team provide information, assessment, therapeutic and surgical treatments for children and young people with cleft lip and palate.

Find out more at Home - Spires Cleft Centre.

Dental services

This specialist team provides dental care for children and young people with special needs, including those with learning or physical disabilities.

Find out more at Thames Valley Community Dental Services.

Palliative care

Palliative care aims to improve the quality of life of patients with a non-curable, life-limiting illness and their families.

This includes symptom control, management, and holistic, person-centred physical and mental wellbeing support.

Find out more at Palliative and End of Life Care - Community Children's Nursing.

The Phoenix Team

The Phoenix Team works together with families and professionals to provide health support to children and young people who are at risk of exploitation or under a court order with the Youth Justice Service or living in homes under Oxfordshire’s Residential and Edge of Care Service.

Find out more at Phoenix Team - Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust.

Wheelchair Service

An NHS equipment service based in the Oxford Centre for Enablement at the Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre. They offer wheelchairs and specialist wheelchair seating provision

Find out more at Oxfordshire Wheelchair Service - OCE.

Respite services

Respite services provide short-term relief for primary caregivers, allowing them to rest, travel, or spend time with others. These services can take place at home, in a health care facility, or at an adult day care centre.

Find out more at short breaks for disabled children.

Hearing

The ability to hear is critical for babies and young children to understand the world around them and for the development of their speech. Hearing problems may be temporary or permanent and can develop at any age.

Find out more at Children's Service - Audiology.

Vision and eye health

Orthoptists investigate, diagnose and treat disorders of binocular single vision (for example, squints) and problems relating to reduced vision. They also assess abnormal eye movements, which may be caused by nerve palsy, injury to the eye or diseases affecting the muscles in the eye. Patients with eye movement problems often complain of seeing diplopia (double vision).

Find out more at Orthoptics - Oxford Eye Hospital.

Rheumatology

Helps children and young people with inflammatory diseases, chronic pains and other bone and muscular conditions

Find out more at Oxford Paediatric and Adolescent Rheumatology Centre (OxPARC) - Oxford University Hospitals.

Children’s Diabetes

This multi-professional specialist team supports children and young people with diabetes. They offer a comprehensive Diabetes service, including insulin pumps according to NICE guidelines following diagnosis.

Find out more at Oxfordshire Children's Diabetes Service.

Annual health check

The Annual Health Check scheme is for adults and young people aged 14 or above with learning disabilities who need more health support and may otherwise have undetected health conditions.

If you are aged 14 and over and have been assessed as having moderate, severe or profound learning disabilities, or a mild learning disability with complex health needs, you are entitled to a free annual health check.

Find out more at Annual health check - Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust.

Community adult learning difficulties

They help young people and adults with learning disabilities and complex physical and/or mental health issues. They can offer support around maintaining good mental and physical health, including daily living skills, eating and drinking, medication, behaviour, thoughts and feelings, memory, communication, comfort, breathing and how you move, and developing personalised care and support plans.

Find out more at Community Learning Disability Teams - Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust.

Continuing care

Some people with long-term complex health needs qualify for free health and social care arranged and funded solely by the NHS. This is known as NHS continuing healthcare.

Find out more at Continuing Healthcare.

Carers health support

As a carer, looking after your own needs, health, and well-being is important. Carers' organisations aim to help carers cope by providing information, support, and practical help.

Find out more at Support for carers - Caring for our carers.