About our service

Supporting families and young people to understand their neurodevelopmental profile

Our team receive a high number of referrals each week and children and young people who have been referred into our service follow a number of pathways.

There has been a notable increase in referrals for neurodevelopmental assessments, including autism and developmental delay, within our service. Consequently, this has impacted waiting times for initial appointments. We are actively collaborating with commissioners and other partners to address this challenge and reduce waiting times for neurodevelopmental assessments in East Sussex.

Currently, the average waiting time is approximately 18 months for school-aged children and around 12 months for preschool-aged children. However, some children with higher levels of need are prioritized and seen sooner, based on assessments conducted at the time of referral or when additional information is provided while they remain on the waiting list.

Referrals to other clinics we offer, such as neurodisability or investigations for sensorineural hearing loss, experience significantly shorter waiting times.

We understand that long waits can be difficult for families and we are working closely with our system partners to try and reduce these. Please follow this link to our waiting list booklet with information on what you can do while you wait for an assessment and organisations which can support you while you wait.

How to contact us

Our teams are unable to advise you of where your child is on the waiting list, however please be reassured that you will be contacted as soon as an appointment is available. If you have any concerns, please speak to your child’s school or nursery, or the person who made the referral.

If your child is being seen in our sleep clinic and requires a prescription for melatonin, please email our nursing team. We require three weeks’ notice to fulfil a prescription.

If your child has had an assessment and you have a question about their care, please email our secretaries.

If you have concerns

Please note that we are not an emergency service. If you have concerns about your child’s wellbeing or the safety of anyone in your household, our leaflet on Accessing Support When you are Concerned about Your Child or Others: A guide for parents and carers may be helpful.

How to get an appointment

If you are worried about your child’s development, we recommend talking through your concerns with your child’s health visitor, school nurse, GP or Special Educational Needs Coordinator SENCO (usually this is a teacher at the school), who will be able to refer you if required.

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Guidelines for requesting the supply of a wheelchair or child buggy

The provision for wheelchairs and child buggys for those with a permanent illness or disability is funded by the local Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) and provided through Millbrook Healthcare. The Red Cross provide equipment in the case of non-permanent conditions.

Referrals must be completed by GP’s, Health or Social Care professionals only. The referral should be completed by the doctor or health professional requesting the equipment.

It has been agreed that Health Visitors will make the referral if they identify a need for a child on their caseload in consultation with the paediatrician.

Once completed the referral form should be sent/emailed to Millbrook Health Care. Millbrook would aim to contact the family within two weeks of receipt of the referral. Millbrook provide a repair service for the equipment they supply, and this can be at the home if necessary.

Following the initial referral from a professional any replacement equipment can be requested directly from Millbrook by the parent, care or patient.

Information about travel and parking at Conquest Hospital and Eastbourne DGH

For information about travel and parking at Conquest Hospital or Eastbourne DGH, click on the links below: