We hold clinics for outpatient appointments every Thursday, 10am to 4pm in the Children’s Neurosciences Centre (Newcomen Centre), 1st floor, South Wing, St Thomas' Hospital.
How do I get an appointment?
We accept referrals from local specialist services, like:
- paediatricians
- child and adolescent health services
We also accept GP referrals where there is a service based locally who we can liaise with.
Cancelling or changing your appointment
Contact the appointments office:
Before your appointment
Please bring:
- a list of any medicines your child is currently taking
- any relevant reports (for example, clinic letters from local services, school reports and statements and cognitive assessments)
- your child's red book (personal child health record)
What to expect at your appointment
You'll see Tammy Hedderly (consultant paediatric neurologist) or a senior member of the TANDeM team.
Our clinical nurse specialist and psychology research assistant will also support you. See the TANDeM team page for more information about our members of staff.
Your first appointment usually lasts about an hour. This involves talking about your child's symptoms and other relevant information in order to reach a diagnosis.
The doctor or nurse will examine your child. Your child may need to have tests like:
For most children, we'll be able to give you a diagnosis about your their condition at the first appointment. We'll also be able to provide some information about your child's condition and discuss possible treatment options (for example medicine or psychological therapy).
As this is a teaching hospital, students supervised by qualified staff might be involved in your care. It's valuable training for students and does not affect the quality of your treatment in any way, but please tell us if you do not want them to be present or involved. We'll always respect your wishes.
After your appointment
All the information discussed at your appointment, including diagnosis and treatment recommendations, will be sent in a letter to you and your GP. If we have recommended any medicine for your child, this will be arranged by your local service.
After diagnosis we'll work with your local services to make sure your child is offered the most appropriate and convenient support. This may involve a referral to child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS), a community clinic or local hospital.
We're happy to be contacted routinely for advice and support. However, we do not provide an emergency service. This is why it is very important that your child has a local service (GP, CAMHS or community paediatrics) to respond to any urgent issues and prescribe medicine when this is recommended.