We look after children who are up to 15 years old. Children come to us to see a doctor, nurse, physiotherapist or dietician, and have a wide variety of illnesses and conditions.
Children may see a variety of staff including doctors, nurses, physiotherapists or nutritionists.
An accompanying adult must be present when any child is seen or examined by our health professionals.
CUH Directions mobile app
The CUH Directions mobile app is for patients and visitors.
It helps you to find your way around Addenbrooke’s and the Rosie hospitals, making it easier to locate clinics, wards and other facilities on our campus.
Clinic procedure
Please inform the receptionist when you arrive at the clinic. You will be asked for your child’s name, address and telephone number (this is useful if we need to contact you at short notice) and the name of your child’s GP, to ensure that our records are up to date.
You will also be asked for your mobile telephone number and asked if you would like a text reminder of your appointment.
You will then be asked to sit in the waiting area until the nurse is ready to weigh and measure your child.
The nurse will call your child’s name and show you to the weighing room – parents can come too. Babies and small children must be naked when they are weighed – there are changing facilities in the weighing room and also in the children’s toilet. Older children will be asked to remove their outdoor clothes, shoes and any heavy jumpers. All children will have their height measured without their shoes.
We are committed to treating all patients and their families with privacy and dignity in a safe, clean and comfortable environment, but in order to meet the needs of clinics, your child is likely to be weighed in the weighing room with other children of different age and sex. If you have any concerns regarding this, please discuss this with the nurse in charge. We will make every effort to make sure your child’s needs are met.
The nurse will record the measurements and if you bring your child’s own record book we can update it for you.
If it is your child’s first visit to the clinic / specialist clinic, a urine sample may be required. Please ask the nurse if a sample is needed before taking your child to the toilet. Do not worry if you have a baby, or your child is not ‘potty trained’ – we have special bags for collecting urine.
The nurse will tell you the name of the doctor your child is going to see and if the clinic is running on time. Appointment times are approximate. Your doctor may be delayed due to an emergency in another department, so please bring something to do while you and your child are waiting.
Every effort is made to keep waiting times to a minimum. However, if you feel you have been kept waiting for a long time please speak to the receptionist. In addition, there is also a screen in the waiting room with the doctors and nurses names detailed on it, along with an approximate estimate of the waiting time.
The doctor or nurse will call you when the doctor is ready to see you. The doctor may request further investigations, such as a blood test, the nurses will come and discuss the best way to do this and explain it to you and your child.
You will be asked to make a further appointment if required, please ask the receptionist after your consultation with the doctor.
Attend Anywhere video consultation
Did you know your outpatient appointment for this service may now be done by video consultation using Attend Anywhere. This enables you to be able to attend your appointment from home, saving you time and money.
Facilities available in the clinic and hospital
There is a WRVS canteen and shop in the outpatient reception area. If you wish to go there please inform a member of staff. No hot drinks are allowed in the clinic but there is a cold water dispenser.
A quiet room may be available if you need to feed your baby (we can warm up feeds if needed).
The clinic may seem very busy and crowded at times, as there may be several different clinics in progress on the same day. There is a play area, with pictures to colour and puzzles and games available to help pass the time. We have a full time ‘play specialist’ based in clinic who works with children of all ages. She can use distraction and other techniques to help your child to cope with procedures such as blood tests, and to prepare them for any necessary treatments, or an overnight hospital stay.
We do our best to keep to appointment times, children who come with you may also use the facilities but unfortunately we cannot provide a crèche facility. It is advisable to make care arrangements on appointment days for other children if possible.
We hope this has helped to explain some of the things that will happen during your visit to the clinic. Some of our specialist clinics, for example diabetic or endocrine, may each have a slightly different routine. Do not worry, as this will be explained to you on your arrival at the clinic.
Please feel free to ask if there is anything you do not understand; we are all here to help you.
Some of the above services are temporarily closed due to COVID 19 restrictions.