Health (primary)
Find out about health services on offer within Wiltshire for those in the SEND community.
If you do not see what you are looking for, more information can be found on our Health Services pages. You can also email localoffer@wiltshire.gov.uk with a request for more information.
Urgent and Emergency Care (UEC) services perform a critical role in keeping the population healthy. The NHS responds to more than 110 million urgent calls or visits every year, so it is essential that the system works effectively.
Both urgent and emergency care services play a specific part in supporting patients to receive the right care, by the right person, as quickly as possible.
Emergency care involves life-threatening illnesses or accidents which require immediate treatment from the ambulance service (via calling 999) and an emergency department (A&E).
An ambulance will take you to the closest A&E with capacity to deal with your immediate needs. For example if you are in Trowbridge that might be Bath Emergency Department / A&E (ruh.nhs.uk) or, closer to Sailsbury, they are served by Salisbury Emergency Department / A&E (salisbury.nhs.uk).
NHS 111 is there to make it easier and quicker for patients to get the right advice or treatment they need, be that for their physical or mental health.
In many cases NHS 111 clinicians and call advisors can give patients the advice they need without using another service, such as their GP or A&E.
NHS 111 is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can access this service by calling 111, or going to NHS 111 online.
To find out more about NHS 111, please visit NHS England: About NHS 111
Wiltshire Health and Care provides services from six community hospital sites. Three of these hospitals have inpatient wards: Chippenham, Warminster and Savernake. There are Minor Injury Units at the Chippenham and Trowbridge hospital sites.
For more information on these Hospitals, and their services, please visit: Community hospitals (wiltshirehealthandcare.nhs.uk)
Community Paediatrics is a team of children's doctors in Wiltshire who see children and young people and their families in the community.
We investigate and diagnose children with a range of difficulties including Autism, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and delayed development.
Our Paediatricians listen to, assess and decide the best way to help children with a developmental impairment, physical and/or learning disability or complex health needs (e.g., Autism or Cerebral Palsy).
We also carry out specialist assessments of school-age children; where there is a concern regarding a neuro-developmental disorder, for example, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) or Autistic Spectrum Disorders (ASDs).
To find out more about what they offer or how to refer, visit Wiltshire Children's Services: Community Paediatrics.
The Wiltshire Speech and Language Therapy team supports parents, families, teaching staff, child-minders, and early years staff across Wiltshire. We offer support to children aged 0 to 18 years, who experience problems with their voice, speech, language, communication, stammering, or have swallowing difficulties. We do this by working on communication, understanding, talking, and speech sounds.
The service also provides formal and informal training to support the Team Around the Child to best meet the communication needs of each child and young person and works closely with pre-schools and schools across the Wiltshire community
To find out more about what they offer or how to refer, visit Wiltshire Children's Services: Speech and Language Therapy.
The Wiltshire Integrated Therapies Service is a unique team of qualified Physiotherapists, Occupational Therapists and Therapy Assistants who pride themselves in their multi-disciplinary approach to meet the therapy needs of children and young people from 0 to 18 years, in the Wiltshire area.
The therapists support children and young people to participate as fully as possible in everyday activities where emotional, psychological, or physical difficulties might hinder their ability to grow, learn, socialise and play. The team provide assessments as well as intervention to help children and young people to get the most from life and achieve their potential.
The importance of each child's individuality is at the core of the services offered to families with the aim to make assessments and interventions fun and engaging. Working together enables therapists to meet the child's goals and individual needs.
To find out more about what they offer or how to refer, visit Wiltshire Children's Services: Integrated Therapies.
A community nursing service for children and young people 0 to 18 years, who have a diagnosis that is life limiting/threatening or long term and complex and where there is an active nursing need that requires monitoring and nursing support in the community. This includes end of life planning and nursing care.
Our team also provides specialist training on enteral feeding (the delivery of food into the body if the child is unable to receive food by mouth), meeting respiratory needs, and anaphylaxis and administration of buccal midazolam (for which school staff can receive training, if provided by the School Nursing Service).
To find out more about what they offer or how to refer, visit Wiltshire children's services or call the Single Point of Access 0300 247 0090 and ask to speak to the duty Community Children's Nurse. For further information on community nursing, visit Wiltshire Children's Services: Children’s Community Nursing.
Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS)
CAMHS is an NHS service that helps children and young people under the age of 18 years.
They provide assessment and support to children, young people and their families who are experiencing moderate to severe mental health difficulties.
To find out more please visit CAMHS.
Barnardo's Healthy Minds Wiltshire
The On Your Mind website has lots of information, practical tips and advice about supporting children and young people's emotional wellbeing. The service is there to help young people aged 5-18 registered with a GP in Wiltshire who are experiencing a range of early mental health difficulties through group work, activities in the community and counselling sessions for those young people who need more intensive support. We are also an all year round service and so our support does not stop in school holidays.
- For advice, information and signposting - Early Mental Health Directory
- For positive activities both online and in person, with a wellbeing focus - Therapeutic Positive activities
- Therapy (including online) - Counselling/Therapy
- Decider Skills workshops - these are groups (occasionally delivered 1:1 if need dictates) that are based on CBT/DBT, the aim is to help CYP deal with different emotions and tolerate distress, developing coping strategies etc. - Decider Skills
For more information about what Barnardos offers and how to contact/self-refer, please visit:
A service for children and young people 0 to 18 years who have been assessed and meet Children's Continuing Health Care.
To find out more about what they offer or how to refer, visit Wiltshire Children's Services: Children’s Continuing Care.
Referrals for palliative care and hospices advice will usually come from continuing healthcare professionals already working with children and young people. You can find additional support and information on Together for short lives (togetherforshortlives.org.uk). On the site there are helplines and information about support on the various stages of healthcare need.
Close to Wiltshire is the Bristol Royal Hospital for Children which is a potential point of referral to their Paediatric Palliative Care and Bereavement Support team (uhbristol.nhs.uk).
You may also find it useful to complete the form for the recommended summary plan for emergency care and treatment (ReSPECT), which has been implemented across BaNES, Swindon and Wiltshire from 4 October 2021. The ReSPECT form documents a patient's personalised recommendations for their clinical care and treatment in a future emergency in which they are unable to make or express choices. It replaces and builds on information held in a Treatment Escalation Plan.
Julias House
Julia's House is not a typical children's hospice. They provide practical and emotional support for families caring for a child with a life-limiting or life-threatening condition, providing frequent and regular support in their own homes, in the community or at their hospices.
For more information please visit: Julia's House (juliashouse.org).
Naomi House and Jacks Place
Naomi House and Jacks Place are hospices supporting life limited and life threatened children and young adults. When a child or young adult is diagnosed with a life limiting condition, Naomi House and Jacksplace can become their home from home. Their nursing, care, play and family support teams are experts in delivering the crucial emotional, spiritual, developmental, clinical and holistic care that children and young adults with some of the most complex medical needs require.
They offer vital respite support, giving families the chance to recharge their batteries and regroup in a calm, fun and welcoming environment. In times of emergency they are there, giving families the help they need through difficult times. And at the end of a child or young adult's life, they pull out all the stops to give them a peaceful and dignified end, surrounded by loved ones.
For more information please visit: Naomi House (naomihouse.org.uk).
Helens House
Helen & Douglas House helps local families cope with the challenges of looking after a terminally ill baby or child who will die prematurely.
Helen & Douglas House is a homely place for local children, living with life-limiting and terminal conditions, and their families. They provide care in a warm, loving environment. Their hospice is filled with laughter, whilst also being peaceful place where families can create happy memories in their last days, weeks, months or years together.
For more information please visit: Helen & Douglas House (helenanddouglas.org.uk).
Charlton Farm
Charlton Farm aims to help and support families who face the emotional and physical strain of caring for children who, sadly, are not expected to live into adulthood. This does not make Charlton Farm a sad place, although sadnesses are faced together. Charlton Farm is a place of love, happiness and friendship. They hope to provide a haven, a place where children and their families can be nurtured and cosseted, returning home with renewed vigour and a sense of anticipation for the next visit.
For more information please visit: Charlton Farm - childrens Hospice (chsw.org.uk).
Jessie May - Home Support
Specialist Jessie May nurses provide at home nursing and respite care for children and young people that have a terminal or life-limiting condition throughout the South West.
They have been providing free specialist at home support since 1996, and it is only through the generosity of their supporters that they can continue to be there for families for many years to come.
For more information please visit: Jessie May - Hospice at Home (jessiemay.org.uk).
The Community Children's Learning Disability Health Service is a specialist team of learning disability nurses and support worker that are commissioned to support children with a moderate to severe learning disability 0 to 18 years. These children have significant cognitive delay and usually have access to specialist nursery provision, Portage, or have an Educational Health Care Plan.
The service undertakes assessments in the home and provides support to improve sleep, behaviour including antisocial and sexualised behaviour, emotional literacy such as anger and anxiety management, faddy eating, and the behavioural aspects of daily living skills development such as delayed toilet training.
To find out more about what they offer or how to refer, visit Wiltshire Children's Services: Learning Disability Health Service.
A personal budget is the money Wiltshire Council allocates to an individual to meet their assessed support needs.
An outcome based assessment will be carried out to establish an approximate figure for how much the council would need to spend to meet an individual's needs.
A personal health budget is the money that can be made available to a child or young person with complex, long-term and/or life-limiting health conditions, who is assessed as needing continuing health care.
Wiltshire Children's Community Audiology Service is a team of specialist paediatric audiologists and experienced clinical support staff, supported by our administrative team. Our community-based service provides hearing assessment for any child referred from birth to 16 years old, or 19 years old if they have Special Educational Needs. They also assess and care for any child with permanent hearing loss requiring monitoring of hearing and communication development.
To find out more about what they offer or how to refer, visit Wiltshire Children's Services: Children’s Community Audiology.
The Children's Bladder and Bowel Service is a nurse led service that assesses the needs of children who have daytime, night-time wetting or who experience constipation following first line intervention from their GP. The service provides containment products for school age children who are incontinent day and night and are working towards toilet training or are assessed as requiring products long term to meet their need.
To find out more about what they offer or how to refer, visit Wiltshire Children's Services: Bladder and Bowel.
The Children Looked After (CLA) Health team provides support and assessment for all children and young people who come into care. When a child or young person comes into care, they will have an Initial Health Assessment (IHA) - this is a statutory health assessment that is required to be completed within 28 days of coming into care. It is completed by a paediatrician or an appropriately trained medical practitioner.
A healthcare plan will be developed and shared with the young person and professionals around them. After this the child or young person's health is reviewed by specialist nurses who include specialist CLA nurses, health visitors and school nurses once or twice a year.
To find out more about what they offer or how to refer, visit HCRG Care Group: Looked after children's service.
The Health Visiting service provides advice and support to all families with a pre-school child in Wiltshire (0 to 5 years).
The Health Visiting Service is a team of qualified professionals who can offer support to families from pregnancy to school age with any health-related issues. These can be related to family emotional well-being; infant feeding advice; adjusting to parenthood; child development; speech and language or just general evidence-based advice and support to give your child the best start in life.
We deliver the Healthy Child Programme where we offer contacts with us at 5 key points:
- Antenatal Period
- New Birth Visit
- 6 to 8 weeks
- 9 to 11 months
- 27 to 30 months
They see families both at home and in local community venues.
Families are welcome to attend their Healthy Child Drop-ins which run across Wiltshire and all the information is on their website.
We can be contacted from Monday to Friday for telephone advice and support between the hours of 9am to 5pm on 0300 247 0090.
Information on a variety of topics can be found on their website:
To find out more about what they offer or how to refer, visit Wiltshire Children's Services: Wiltshire Health Visiting service.
The Wiltshire School Nursing Service is a team of professionals holding a range of skills and qualifications to provide confidential advice, care and treatment to children and young people who attend a Wiltshire state school. Each secondary school also receives a weekly drop in for young people to independently seek advice for any health concerns.
School nurses can offer support, advice or signposting to other sources of information/support regarding your child's health on specific topics including:
- healthy weight and healthy eating
- bed wetting
- sleep problems
- hearing and vision screening (in reception year)
- advice on managing and signposting for a range of health conditions where other health professionals are not involved
- emotional health including low mood, panic, stress, worry, early signs of anxiety, anger difficulties, feeling overwhelmed, building resilience (where specialist services are not involved)
- puberty and sexual health
- key stage of life transition, i.e. moving on to secondary school or adult services
The service provides a duty school nurse line where professionals, parent/carers or young people can contact a member of the team between 9am to 5pm Monday - Friday through the single point of access (0300 247 0090).
To find out more about what they offer or how to refer, visit Wiltshire Children's Services: School Nursing.
Family Nurse Partnership (FNP) is a preventative programme offered to first time mothers, aged 19 and under. HCRG Care Group provide this programme to mothers who are resident in Wiltshire.
This voluntary personalised programme offers up to 64 intensive and structured home visits, delivered by specially trained nurses, from early pregnancy through to the child's 2nd birthday. Visits can take place in the home or in the community
To find out more about what they offer or how to refer, visit Wiltshire Children's Community Services: Family Nurse Partnership.
The Wiltshire Autism Assessment Service (WAAS) is an assessment-only service for children who are showing signs of possible autism. The service offers a number of different assessment pathways which are selected based on each child's needs.
Once a referral to the service has been accepted, families will receive an initial telephone consultation with an autism practitioner to discuss next steps in detail and to explain where to find support for the child and family's needs. Families of children who have been accepted to the service can sign up to receive the monthly email newsletter from the service, by contacting the Single Point of Access 0300 247 0090.
To find out more about what they offer or how to refer, visit Wiltshire Children's Services: Wiltshire Autism Assessment Service (WAAS).
Wiltshire School Aged Immunisation Service is predominantly a school-based service for the delivery school aged vaccinations in line with the National Childhood Immunisation Programme across B&NES, Wiltshire, Swindon, and Devon. This includes Diphtheria/Tetanus/Polio boosters, Meningitis ACWY vaccination, Human Papilloma Virus immunisations and annual school aged seasonal influenza protection for eligible cohorts.
Immunisations are offered to all children/young people, including home educated children and others not in school, and are offered both in the school setting and in community clinic venues by appointment. They are also able to offer MMR vaccinations in the clinic setting for those who have not previously had 2 doses. Information is shared with parents and young people by working in partnership with schools and home education links, and immunisations are given with consent gained from parents/carers using an electronic consent system.
Responses to outbreaks requiring immunisation, such as measles, are also supported as part of the wider immunisation service.
The service is delivered by our team of nurses who are fully trained in the management and administration of all school aged vaccinations led by Senior Immunisation Nurses and supported by a team of Support Workers and business support staff. The team are experienced in working with all age groups and able to support those with special needs and requirements, including needle anxieties to access their vaccinations.
They have a Single Point of Access phone line, available every working day from 9am to 4.30pm, with trained business support staff who are able to support with queries and completion of on-line consent forms.
The team can be contacted on vcl.immunisations@nhs.net or by calling 0300 247 0082.
Further information can also be found at Wiltshire Children's Services: Home Immunisation Service.
Wiltshire Health and Care (WHC) is a partnership, focused solely on delivering improved community services in Wiltshire. Their services include, but are not limited to, the following:
- minor injuries
- physiotherapy
- wheelchair access
- respiratory
- community hospitals
To find out more please visit Wiltshire Health and Care: Our services.
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