For Children and Young People who are deemed to have eating/drinking/swallowing difficulties.
Children and young people aged 0-19 are eligible for referral if they are registered with a GP located within:
- South Cheshire
- Vale Royal
- Cheshire West
Children and young people aged 0-19 who have an Education and Health Care Plan and who are in full time education at a school within our area but with a GP outside of our service area are also eligible for referral.
Refer if:
- Concerns about aspiration: coughing and choking during mealtimes; frequent chest infections; changes in breathing when eating/drinking; signs of discomfort when swallowing; unexplained weight loss or reduced oral intake
- Failure to develop age appropriate skills for sucking, chewing and/or swallowing
- Medical conditions that have a known impact on eating, drinking and swallowing such as syndromes; chromosomal conditions; craniofacial anomalies; neurological impairment and developmental delay
- Difficulty moving onto oral feeding from tube feeding
Please note that we are unable to accept referrals relating to
- Weaning onto solids
- Sensory feeding behaviours
- Gagging
- Increased saliva production
The above concerns should be directed to your GP.
Referral Form
If an Eating, drinking and swallowing difficulties referral is appropriate, please complete and submit this online referral form (opens in a new window) with full parental/carer consent.
Please note:
You will need to complete and submit both forms if you wish to refer a child/young person for Speech, Language and Communication difficulties and Eating, Drinking and Swallowing difficulties.
