The Paediatric Specialist Fatigue Service, Royal United Hospital, Bath
Category: NHS Services
The Paediatric Specialist Fatigue Service is based at the Royal United Hospital, Bath. We provide assessment, diagnosis and management strategies for children and young people with fatigue, aged between 2 and 18 years old. The team comprises specialist Consultants, Psychologists, Physiotherapists and Occupational Therapists. We see approximately 500 children and young people with fatigue each year, and offer individually tailored care. Our appointments can be delivered remotely via a secure NHS platform (‘DrDoctor’), or in-person at the hospital in Bath.
We accept referrals from across the UK. For England, GP referrals should be made via the NHS e-Referrals system – Enter Post Code BA1 3NG : Children & Adolescent Services/Neurology/Paediatric CFS Service. Paediatricians can refer directly. We can see young people who live anywhere in the UK; those living in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland need funding agreed from local commissioning first. More information on referring can be found on our website: www.ruh.nhs.uk/cfs
We have particular expertise in helping and supporting children whose case may be complicated by more than one problem. Following the COVID-19 pandemic we have developed expertise in managing Post COVID-19 Syndrome and we welcome referrals for children and young people that have fatigue as part of their presentation.
Outcomes for children and young people with fatigue who access specialist support are good. We tailor the care and support plans to each individual’s goals, helping young people to understand and manage their symptoms, whilst working towards (re)gaining the things that matter to them.
We believe that all clinical care should have an evidence base. We therefore only offer treatment that has been recommended by NICE. The service has close links with the University of Bristol, which conducts research into chronic fatigue in children and young people. This means that all the treatment offered by the clinical team is based on the most up-to-date research results.