I’m hoping to hear from other parents who may be experiencing something similar.
My daughter has complex needs and we have been trying to get her seen by a Community Paediatrician. Three different GPs have attempted to refer her, but each referral has been rejected. We’ve been told that GPs are not allowed to refer directly and must go through SPOA, however those referrals are consistently being declined.
This is happening alongside ongoing EHCP difficulties — we currently have an active Tribunal case and are requesting a full re-assessment. My daughter has only ever had one assessment (an EP assessment in 2023 when she was still in nursery). She is autistic, non-verbal, and has multiple additional needs that clearly warrant paediatric input.
What’s particularly concerning is that the GP has said referrals are currently only being accepted for the most severe cases, which feels incredibly worrying when children with clear and complex needs are unable to access medical assessment at all.
I’m really keen to know:
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Has anyone else struggled to get a Community Paediatrician referral accepted?
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Have you found any alternative routes or ways to challenge this?
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Has anyone managed to resolve this successfully, and if so, how?
It feels wrong that children are effectively being blocked from medical assessment due to system barriers rather than clinical need. Any shared experiences or advice would be hugely appreciated.
Thank you
[quote=“Jpounder, post:1, topic:128013”]
appreciated.
This system is useless!
I have had huge problems with this system, it’s not fit for purpose, even worse it’s totally inconsistenct. One result said I needed to see someone within 24 hours and was given an appointment 2 weeks later!
Hi @Jpounder and welcome. I’m what you might call an old parent - my autistic son is 40, so my experiences aren’t of much direct use to you, I’m afraid.
What I have always found is that it is worth looking up information online that might help. First off, do a search for access to community paediatricians in your area. There should be a way to find out from that what criteria are being used to deny access. If they are not clear - for example, the use of the words “significant difficulties” without explanation are not clear - then you can ask for clarification as to what exactly is meant by “significant” in that context. Always useful to know what they mean - and if they don’t want you to know. They should absolutely give reasons for denying access. You’re entitled to know why you’re being left unsupported.
You could also put in a subject access request for any and all documents referring to your daughter held by the SPOA - they must hold the referral documents and any records of their decision.
Hope this helps.
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Subject Access Requests can be very revealing. Some staff forget that we can view everything they have written. The first one I made was terrible. After I complained I was told by the head of service that he would have sacked 2 staff if they hadn’t already retired and 2 others were made to apologise. Later the head of service was found guilty in court of having indecent photos of minors and never allowed to practice as a social worker again!