You can also find information sheets for common conditions under General Conditions.

Patient referral

Your GP will refer you into the Orthopaedic Department through a system called the SCI Gateway. This system allows your GP to send a referral letter electronically directly to us. We also accept letters from other Healthcare professionals.

Please give details of all unavailability and if you would require an interpreter to be in attendance at your appointment.

Please ensure that all contact information is up to date.

Vetted referral

This means the referral letter will be looked at by a clinician within the Paediatric Orthopaedic service and a decision will be made about the appropriate clinic for the child or young person (CYP) to be seen at.

The decision made will depend on the information given within the referral about the concerns raised. The CYP may be offered a consultation with a member of the paediatric orthopaedic clinical team.

These consultations may be face-to-face, by telephone or by video consultation (Near Me) at your home. Information about the type of appointment offered will be detailed within your appointment letter.

Active Clinical Referral Triage (ACRT)

In the Paediatric Orthopaedic clinic we use also use Active Clinical Referral Triage (ACRT) for some referrals. This process is used when a referral is sent to us for a common condition that causes concern but normally only requires advice or reassurance.

The first stage in this process is that you will be sent a relevant leaflet. The leaflet will give you information the condition. We hope that after reading the information you will be reassured that the condition is often part of normal childhood development, is not causing harm to your child and will improve in the fullness of time.
We use ACRT for the following conditions referred to the Paediatric Orthopaedic clinic:

  • Intoeing gait
  • Flexible flat feet
  • Hypermobility in the under 5’s
  • Toe problems
  • Popliteal cysts
  • Ganglion cysts
  • Trigger Thumb
  • Fused toes

If you still have concerns and wish your child to be seen in the Paediatric Orthopaedic clinic, details are provided on the information leaflet on how to do this.

The ACRT process allows us provide you with the necessary advice more quickly; avoiding delay, concern and the inconvenience of a hospital appointment simply for information and reassurance.

ACRT is the process we use when a referral is sent to us for common conditions that cause concern but normally only require advice and reassurance.

The first stage in this process is that you will be sent a relevant leaflet i.e. intoeing gait. The leaflet will give you information on the condition.  We also hope it will reassure you that although it is often cause for concern, intoeing will not cause your child harm and will improve over time. 

We hope that, after reading the information, you will be reassureed that the condition is often part of normal childhood development, is not causing harm to your child and will improve in time. 

If you still have concerns and your child to be seen in the paediatric orthopaedic clinic, details of how to do this are provided on the information leaflet. 

The ACRT process allows us to provide you wit the necessary advice more quickly; avoiding delay, concern and the inconvenience of a hospital appointment to simply be reassured.