What to do if a child is poorly
Alder Hey Children’s Hospital has developed a symptom checker for children. The symptom checker gives a list of symptoms against a number of common childhood conditions and advice about what you should do next. https://www.alderhey.nhs.uk/conditions/symptoms-checker/
Stress in children
Children are reporting increased levels of stress and anxiety. The Children’s Society has an informative page about managing stress with some useful links, including a booklet on managing stress written by young people to help others feeling under pressure from stress. www.childrenssociety.org.uk/information/young-people/well-being/resources/stress
Young Minds offers help and support for young people who are struggling with their mental health, and also offers support tailored to their families. www.youngminds.org.uk
Importance of childhood immunisations
We know that some children have missed out on their childhood immunisations because their parents were worried about bringing their children into the surgery due to the COVID-19 pandemic. If you’d like to have your child vaccinated, it’s not too late. www.nhs.uk/conditions/vaccinations/nhs-vaccinations-and-when-to-have-them
Children's minor illnesses/accidents
Lullaby Trust: If you have a baby, it can be very difficult to know what is normal, or when to seek help. Lullaby Trust has developed an app to help you identify if your baby is seriously unwell and in need of medical assessment or advice. www.lullabytrust.org.uk/safer-sleep-advice/baby-check-app
If your children are no longer babies, you might find it difficult to know when you need to be seriously concerned about their health. Devon CCG have developed the HANDi Paediatric App to help parents develop confidence in managing minor conditions. devonccg.nhs.uk/health-services/children-and-young-people/handi-app
Children’s eye health and safety
Eye tests for under 16’s are funded by the NHS. You should take your child for an eye test if you have any concerns about their eyesight, for example if you notice squinting, frequent headaches or screwing their eyes up while watching TV. lookafteryoureyes.org/eye-care/childrens-eye-health
From birth to 18 (while in full time education), the NHS provides free eye tests to ensure that any issues are picked up quickly and treated appropriately. www.nhs.uk/conditions/eye-tests-in-children