Paediatrics and child health
Someone to ask when you are worried about your child
Cassia looks after children from birth through adolescence — the illnesses that will not settle, the feeding and sleeping that is not going well, growth and development, allergy, asthma and the things you have been told to keep an eye on. We see the child, and we talk to you.
Paediatricians
The paediatricians who will see your child
Every appointment at Cassia is with a named paediatrician, and you will know who you are seeing before you arrive.
Consultant Paediatrician
General paediatrics and acute childhood illness
Medical degree · Specialist training in paediatrics
Consultant Paediatrician — Allergy & Respiratory
Allergy, asthma and breathing
Medical degree · Subspecialty training in paediatric allergy
Consultant Paediatrician — Development
Development, behaviour and neurodiversity
Medical degree · Subspecialty training in community paediatrics
Senior Paediatric Nurse
Vaccination, growth monitoring and parent support
Nursing registration · Paediatric nursing qualification
Paediatric Dietitian
Feeding, growth and exclusion diets
Dietetics degree · Paediatric specialty training
How we work
How we work with families
Longer appointments, by design
Most of what a worried parent needs is time to ask. Ten minutes does not provide it.
We talk to you, and to your child
Age-appropriately, and without talking over either of you. Older children are asked their own questions.
A written summary every time
Nobody remembers a consultation accurately when they are worried. You leave with it in writing.
Honest about when nothing is needed
A great deal of what we see needs reassurance and a plan rather than a prescription, and we will say so.
Clinics
Our clinics
What each clinic is for, how long an appointment takes, and what happens in it.
Paediatric consultation
An unhurried appointment with a consultant paediatrician, and a written summary.
- Appointment
- 30–45 minutes
- Visits
- One, with review as needed
- From
- from £180
Same-day clinic
For a child who is unwell now and needs to be seen today.
- Appointment
- 20–30 minutes
- Visits
- One, with a review if needed
- From
- from £140
Development and behaviour clinic
A longer appointment for speech, movement, feeding, sleep and behaviour.
- Appointment
- 60 minutes
- Visits
- One, with review at 8–12 weeks
- From
- from £280
Allergy clinic
Assessment, testing where the history warrants it, and a written management plan.
- Appointment
- 45–60 minutes
- Visits
- One, then annual review
- From
- from £260
Asthma and breathing clinic
Diagnosis, inhaler technique, and a written plan for when things get worse.
- Appointment
- 30–45 minutes
- Visits
- One, then review every 6–12 months
- From
- from £190
Vaccination clinic
Routine and travel vaccinations, given calmly and recorded properly.
- Appointment
- 20 minutes
- Visits
- As the schedule requires
- From
- from £75
Newborn and infant checks
A full examination in the first weeks, and again at the developmental milestones.
- Appointment
- 45 minutes
- Visits
- Newborn, then at 6–8 weeks and 8–12 months
- From
- from £160
What we look after
What we look after
The things parents bring children to us with, and what we do about each of them.
Coughs, colds and fevers
The commonest reason to see us, and usually about whether it needs anything.
- A temperature that has lasted more than a few days
- A cough keeping the whole household awake
- Not drinking as much as usual
- One infection running straight into the next
Feeding, weight and growth
From early feeding difficulty to a child who has dropped through the centiles.
- Difficulty establishing feeding in the early weeks
- Weight gain that has slowed or stopped
- Extreme fussiness, or a very limited range of foods
- Reflux, vomiting or discomfort after feeds
Allergy and intolerance
Food reactions, hay fever and eczema — and telling allergy from intolerance.
- A rash, swelling or vomiting after a particular food
- Eczema that is not settling
- Seasonal sneezing, itchy eyes or blocked nose
- A family history of allergy or asthma
Asthma and breathing
Wheeze, persistent cough and breathlessness — and getting the inhalers right.
- Wheeze, particularly at night or with exercise
- A cough that keeps coming back after colds
- Getting out of breath before other children do
- Needing a reliever inhaler more than twice a week
Development and behaviour
Speech, movement, attention and social development — and when to act on a concern.
- Speech that has not come on as expected
- Not meeting milestones at the expected time
- Difficulty at nursery or school
- Concerns raised by a teacher or health visitor
Sleep
Night waking, settling and the exhaustion that comes with both.
- Waking repeatedly through the night beyond infancy
- Taking a very long time to settle
- Snoring, or pauses in breathing during sleep
- Daytime behaviour that everyone attributes to tiredness
Tummy pain and toileting
Constipation, recurrent tummy ache and toilet training that has stalled.
- Recurrent tummy ache, often around the navel
- Infrequent, hard or painful stools
- Soiling after being previously dry
- Avoiding the toilet, or holding on
Rashes and skin
Eczema, viral rashes, and the one every parent wants excluded.
- Dry, itchy patches that come and go
- A rash appearing with a fever
- Sudden hives after food or a bite
- A rash that does not fade when pressed
Patient information
Things worth knowing
Fever in children: what actually matters
The number on the thermometer matters far less than how your child looks.
When to keep a child off school
The rules are simpler than most families expect.
Using an inhaler and spacer properly
Most "asthma that is not working" is a technique problem.
Fussy eating
Almost always developmental, and made worse by pressure.
How it works
The vaccination schedule
- 01
The first year
The bulk of the primary schedule, given in several visits over the first twelve months. We check what has been given and catch up anything missed.
- 02
Pre-school boosters
Boosters before starting school, given in a clinic that has time for a child who does not want to be there.
- 03
School years
The vaccinations given during school years, available here for children who missed them or would rather not have them at school.
- 04
Travel vaccination
Planned around where you are going and how old your child is. Bring your itinerary and allow six weeks before you travel.
- 05
Afterwards
A sore leg or arm and sometimes a mild fever are expected for a day or two. We give you written advice on what is normal and when to ring.
Patients
What parents say
Before you come
Your visit
Bring the red book
The earlier measurements and the vaccination record in it are genuinely useful and rarely available anywhere else.
Bring your questions written down
Everybody forgets at least one. We would rather go through a list than have you remember in the car park.
Tell us if your child is frightened
It changes how we run the appointment. Most of an examination can be done on your lap.
Bring a photograph of anything intermittent
Rashes and swellings never appear at the appointment. A photograph on your phone is real evidence.
Checklist
What to bring
- Your child’s personal child health record (the red book)
- A list of any medicines, including inhalers and creams
- Photographs of any rash or swelling that comes and goes
- Any letters from your GP, health visitor or school
Appointments
Book an appointment
Tell us your child’s age and what is worrying you, and we will book the right clinic and the right length of appointment.
If you are worried, ring
Parents are usually right that something is not as it should be. That is a good enough reason to be seen.
Book an appointment