How do I get an appointment?
You can ask your child's GP or the team looking after them at Evelina London or another hospital to refer you.
Changing or cancelling your appointment
To cancel or change your appointment, please call:
- spinal outpatients: 020 7188 4000
- orthopaedic outpatients: 020 7188 2454
Or email PaediatricAppointment@gstt.nhs.uk.
Please let us know as soon as possible if you need to change your appointment so we can offer your slot to another family.
Before your appointment
When you come to your appointment please bring:
- any splints or other orthotics your child currently uses
- a list of the medicines they take
- a frame to help them walk, if they use one
If they use a wheelchair and need to be hoisted, please bring their sling in case they need to be transferred to the examination couch.
During your appointment
We have different clinics for different problems, and we aim to see your child in the most appropriate clinic for their particular problem.
Who you see at your appointment depends on what the problem is. You might see a physiotherapist, a surgeon, or a clinical nurse specialist (or sometimes all 3). We sometimes have students or visitors from other hospitals with us.
Usually, a first appointment starts with some questions about the problem, and what has happened in the past.
Next comes an examination. If it is a lower limb problem, many children feel more comfortable if they wear a pair of shorts (which they can change into when they arrive). A t-shirt is useful if it is an upper limb problem.
After this your specialist might ask for some tests to be done. X-rays and blood tests can be done on the same day, but more complex tests have to be booked for another day.
Appointments can last from 15 minutes for a straightforward problem, to three hours for a full assessment prior to a planned operation.
After your appointment
After your child's appointment we write a letter to the person who referred them to us, giving details of our assessment, and our plan. Please ask if you would like a copy of this letter to be sent to you.
Your specialist will explain what will happen next. Sometimes arrangements will be made for further tests, or for a course of treatment to start. Sometimes, no treatment is necessary.
If your surgeon thinks an operation might help your child, they'll explain why they think so, what the benefits (and the risks) are, and answer any questions you and your child have about it.
If you decide to go ahead with an operation, we will pass on all the details to our admissions coordinator, who you can contact to discuss dates and arrangements. We normally see children again in the clinic shortly before an operation (the pre-assessment clinic), so you do have the chance to discuss the operation again before it actually happens.
Questions about your child's appointment?
These are the contact details for any queries about your appointment or treatment:
For enquiries about new or follow-up appointments
Phone: 020 7188 4000
For enquiries about the date of your child's operation
Phone: 020 7188 2454
For enquiries about tests and all other enquiries
Phone: 020 7188 6541