Meet the team
Find out more about the team members who may see you and your child. We have close working relationships with many other specialties in the hospital, and work externally with community paediatric teams, allied health professional community services and other agencies.
Children's neurology registrars and senior house officers (SHO) spend an average time of six months to two years with our team. They may have already chosen a career in paediatric neurology, or may be general paediatric trainees with a specialist interest in neurology.
These are the doctors that your child will see daily on the wards when they in hospital, or when you come in for investigations or review as an outpatient.
After the ward round, the registrars and SHO will arrange investigations and chase up results.
Our specialist nurses hold extra qualifications in the care of children with neurological conditions and nurse prescribing. They run a nurse led clinic twice a month and see children with a wide range of medical and psychosocial concerns.
They can provide information and advice to patients, their families and other health professionals, as supporting patients to manage their individual neurological needs.
The team offer support on various topics, including:
- understanding and coping with neurological conditions
- medication management, including monitoring side effects and adjusting doses
- safety and first aid
- school liaison and advice
- liaison with community health services
- social and leisure activities, including travel
- financial aid support
- national association contact details and local support groups
The nursing team are happy to discuss issues face to face, over the telephone or by email.
Our neurorehabilitation physiotherapy team can help your child to maintain, improve and maximise their functional ability and quality of life.
The team consists of Michelle Geary and Jenni Palmer, who have over 20 years of experience working in paediatric neurology physiotherapy. They work with a team of physiotherapists and therapy assistants providing rehabilitation for children on the acute medical wards, PICU and within Bursledon House.
As well as working with children staying in hospital, they offer specialist outpatient services within the botulinum toxin service and Wessex regional neuromuscular service.
Our dietitian works with children and their families to tailor their diet to their requirements, and provide advice and support to help them adapt to the diet.
We have a monthly ketogenic diet clinic, helping to manage childhood epilepsy. Our team offers regular telephone contact with families in between clinic appointments to fine tune the diet to optimise seizure control.
Our dietitian also works with the gastroenterology team with children who have a wide range of gastrointestinal conditions, including inflammatory bowel disease, intestinal failure, those requiring parenteral nutrition and children with complex feeding issues.
An occupational therapist will assess your child's abilities and potential within the context of your family's physical and psychosocial environment.
Areas assessed may include:
- motor skills (hand function in particular)
- seating and postural management
- self-care skills
- visual perceptual skills
- access to home and school environment
- home equipment needs
- pain and sensory issues.
Alongside these, other areas which will be assessed include:
- problem solving barriers to enable participation in daily activities
- using activity as a therapeutic tool
- adapting the environment to maximise your child's ability to engage in activities
- adapting the activity to permit your child to participate.
Intervention may include loaning your child a seating system or wheelchair while they are an inpatient, providing hand splints to prevent contractures and advising on maximizing your child's ability to participate in daily activities.