Referral Management Centre

As part of the ongoing transformation of children and young people's specialist health services, NHFT has introduced a referral management centre (RMC).  The RMC provides a single point of access for professionals to make referrals into children and young people's specialist community health services.

The aim of the RMC is to facilitate all urgent and non-urgent referrals into NHFT to ensure that children and young people are seen by the right health professional(s), with the right skills the first time.  All of NHFT's children and young people's specialist community health services will now use one single referral form.  On receipt of a fully completed referral form an initial clinical screening will be undertaken by skilled clinical practitioners to identify which specialism / specialisms will best meet the presenting needs of the child or young person.  This process will ensure a greater joined up approach between specialisms and will ultimately lead to an integrated assessment and care plan for children and young people with multiple or complex needs.

Referrals for children and young people that may require the following specialisms should be made through the referral management centre:

Please note that any urgent referrals for children's community nursing (CATCH, long term conditions) should be telephoned to the Referral Management Centre on 03001111022.

• Child and Adolescent Mental Health (CAMHs)
• Children's Community Nursing (CATCH, Continuing Health Care, Home Respite, Special School Nursing and Long Term Conditions)
• Community Paediatrics (North of the County)*
• Continence Assessment
• Community Team for People with Learning Disabilities (CTPLD)
• Dietetics
• Looked After Children (mental health only - not for medicals or health assessments)
• Occupational Therapy
• Physiotherapy (North of the County)*
• Speech and Language

* Community Paediatrics and Physiotherapy continue to be provided by Northampton General Hospital in the South of the County - referrals for these services should not be made via the RMC.

Listen to Adrienne Hand Northamptonshire Healthcare Foundation Trust - NHFT, Cindy Bayliss a parent with a child with specialist health needs and David Loyd-Hearn (Nene and Corby CCG Children's Commissioning Lead) on BBC Radio Northampton explaining why the unit is so important. 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p020zr7w   go to 2:41:30 

Children and Young People's Referral Management Centre

Castle Unit

Isebrook Hospital

Irthlingborough Road

Wellingborough

NN8 1LP

To download a referral form go to http://www.nht.nhs.uk/main.cfm?type=REFERRALMANAGEMENT