A healthy childhood is key to a child’s development. The emotional, social and physical development of young children has a direct effect on the adult that they become.
High quality services are important to support our children and young people. Their health and wellbeing is a key priority in our Medway Child Health Service.
To ensure that children of all ages and circumstances receive the right support, it’s important that we have access points such as:
- school nurses
- home visits
- emergency child health department
- other local organisations.
We also offer mental health support to care for:
- behaviour issues
- loneliness
- anxiety
- other areas.
Medway is working with a range of support organisations to help provide one joined-up health service. This is to ensure that you and your child get the right support.
Medway Child Health Services
Take a look through our list of providers and services for child health across Medway.
Medway Community Healthcare (MCH)
In April 2018, we announced MCH as our new community child health provider for 19 services across Medway. MCH is an award-winning social enterprise and Community Interest Company (CIC) established in 2011 and employs over 1,300 staff.
MCH provide the following services:
- audiology
- Children’s Outreach and Specialist Nursing Team (coast)
- Community Nursing Team for children and young people with learning disabilities
- community pediatrics
- continence services
- health visiting
- Looked After Children’s Health Team
- nutrition and dietetics
- children’s occupational therapy
- children’s physiotherapy
- National Child Measurement Programme
- Oral Health Programme
- podiatry
- school nursing
- special needs nursery
- speech and language therapy.
You can visit the Medway Community Healthcare website. You can also call 0300 123 3444 or email medch.childrenscommunity@nhs.net for more information.
You can also get updates on MCH Facebook and MCH Twitter.
Medway Foundation Trust – Medway Maritime Hospital
Medway Foundation Trust provide emergency child care and support for children with serious illnesses.
The hospital’s maternity service also provide support to all expectant mums.
This support includes:
- scans
- a community midwife
- delivery suite.
The trust provide the following services:
- maternity services including community midwifery
- children’s Emergency Department
- acute paediatricians
- Dolphin Ward (a medical, orthopaedic, surgical and ear, nose and throat ward for children)
- Oliver Fisher Neonatal Unit
- Children’s Outreach and Specialist Team for children with life limiting and life threatening illnesses, including Cystic Fibrosis and cancer
- Paediatric Diabetes Service.
Visit the hospital’s website for more information.
You can also call them on 01634 830 000 or 01634 825 277 for midwifery.
Medway Council Public Health (A Better Medway)
A Better Medway provides health improvement services to many residents.
We provide:
- specialist support
- advice
- programmes
- resources.
We aim to help people living or working in Medway improve their health and wellbeing.
There’s a range of healthy eating programmes available to both children and teenagers to help reduce obesity.
A Better Medway provide the following child services:
- PSHE (Personal, Social, Health and Economic) and RSE (Relationships and Sex Education) support
- health boards
- child and family weight management (Tri for You)
- youth health ambassadors
- stop smoking service and support with smoking in pregnancy
- professional development including Youth Mental Health First Aid.
Visit the child health page or email childhealth@medway.gov.uk for more information.
Medway Young Persons’ Wellbeing Service (NELFT)
NELFT provides mental health support for children and young people.
They provide the following services:
- Kent and Medway Single Point of Access - for consultation and referrals
- Medway Young Person’s Wellbeing Service (Medway CAMHS)
- Neurodevelopmental Service
- All Age Eating Disorder Service
- Crisis Response Enhanced Support Team (CREST)
- signposting and support provided
- mental health assessment and treatment.
Visit the NELFT website for more information or call 0800 011 3474.
Kent and Medway Eating Disorder Service
The service provides a range of support for any child or teenager who requires support for an eating disorder. They also provide specialist inpatient care.
Eating disorders include:
- Anorexia Nervosa (AN)
- Bulimia Nervosa (BN)
- EDNOS (eating disorders not otherwise specified).
You can email nem-tr.eds.kentandmedway.referrals@nhs.net or call 0300 300 1980 for more information.
Kent Community Healthcare Trust
This service is for school immunisations.
Visit the Kent Community Healthcare Trust website or call 0300 123 5205 for more information. You can also email them at kchft.cyp-immunisationteam@nhs.net.
Other health services for teenagers
Open Road
They offer substance misuse support and advice for young people.
You can visit the Open Road website or call them on 01634 366 285.
Kent Community Health Foundation Trust (KCHFT)
They offer sexual health services including contraception and chlamydia screening.
You can visit the KCHFT website or call them on 0300 123 1678.
Metro
They offer a free condom scheme. This scheme is also available through Sexual Health Services.
You can visit the Metro website for more information.