Child & Family Health

Just found out you're pregnant?

Congratulations! Our nearest hospital trust for maternity services is Surrey & Sussex Healthcare Trust (SASH), with maternity services in East Surrey Hospital. They link in with a community midwife who runs clinics here at Ifield Medical Practice, so you can receive your regular check-ups close to home.

To get started with maternity services, fill in the Surrey & Sussex online form. A midwife will contact you to arrange your maternity screening tests and first appointment as soon as possible.

Fill in the form here

Local Maternity Services

Both Sussex and Surrey have dedicated websites with everything you need to know about getting pregnant, being pregnant, giving birth, and caring for a newborn.

Health Visitors and School Nurses

Health Visitors and School Nurses are qualified nurses or midwives who have completed additional training in public health.

They can provide support and advice on many areas of children's wellbeing, such as growth, weight, eating and healthy lifestyles, sleep, dental and oral care, immunisations, developmental concerns, continence issues, emotional and mental wellbeing, and more.

There are separate teams for West Sussex and Surrey.

West Sussex Healthy Child Programme

To contact the health visitors (for children aged 0-5):

Parentline: Text 07312 277163. You can use this anonymous text service at any time and they will return your message within 24 hours, Monday to Friday, 9am-4.30pm, except for bank holidays and weekends. This service is for advice and support only, please do not message to arrange or amend appointments.

Telephone: 01273 242004 (Monday to Friday, 9am-4.30pm, excluding bank holidays). This is for advice, support and appointments.

For school nurses (for children and young people aged 5-19):

Chat Health West Sussex: Text 07480 635424. You can text at any time and they will return your call within 24 hours, Monday to Friday, 9am-4.30pm, except for bank holidays and weekends.

Parentline West Sussex (for parents/carers of children and young people aged 5-19): Text 07312 277011. You can text them at any time and they will return your call within 24 hours, Monday to Friday, 9am-4.30pm, except for bank holidays and weekends.

West Sussex School Nurse advice line: Telephone 0300 303 1137, Monday to Friday, 9am-4.30pm.

Find out more

Children and Family Health Surrey

The Surrey-wide 0-19 Advice Line on 01883 340922 is available from 8am to 5pm, Monday to Friday (excluding bank holidays) and provides support on all aspects of child health, development and parenting.

You can book an appointment with the Health Visiting team through the Advice Line.

Find out more

Early Years Advice

Health for Under 5s

Health For Under 5s

The website provides health information for parents, covering important milestones in a child’s development from pregnancy through baby, toddler and preschool, as well as offering support, information and advice specifically for parents and carers.

Find out more
Better Health Start for Life

NHS Start for Life

Trusted NHS help and advice during pregnancy, birth and parenthood.

Find out more

Family Support

Home Start East Surrey

Home Start East Surrey

Home Start East Surrey is a local charity which provides friendship and emotional and practical help to parents with at least one child under eleven years old. They provide early support to families who are experiencing a wide range of difficulties such as isolation, low self-esteem, mental health issues and parenting difficulties. They work alongside parents in their own homes to help raise self-confidence and their ability to cope in an increasingly pressured society.

Find out more
A photo of the Broadfield Children's Centre

Crawley Family Hubs

Family hubs offer a range of support, information and guidance to parents, carers and young people as part of Early Help.

Hubs are open for you to drop in and speak to staff Monday to Friday during opening times on a whole range of issues affecting you and your family. They also have public access computers to use, free of charge, as well as social spaces available to meet other parents.

There are two hubs in Crawley, one in Bewbush and one in Broadfield.

Children's Mental Health

West Sussex Single Point of Access

West Sussex Single Point of Access

The Single Point of Access is for anyone aged 4-17. Anyone can fill in this online form - including young people, their parents, teachers - and the Single Point of Access team will review it within 72 hours and direct you to the right service to help. This might include the Youth Emotional Support service, CAMHS, the Healthy Child Programme, and much much more. This single point of access makes it easier for young people to get to the help they need.

Fill in the form here
Mindworks Surrey

Mindworks Surrey

Mindworks Surrey is the new emotional wellbeing and mental health service for children and young people in Surrey. Their website has lots of resources for young people and those who support them. You can also call their Access & Advice line on 0300 222 5755 from 8am to 8pm, Monday to Friday and 9am to 12pm, Saturday.

Find out more
Is this OK?

Is this Ok?

Is This Ok? is a free, anonymous, and confidential service, bringing trained professionals together to provide support to young people through a chat service. You don’t need to provide your real name (a nickname is fine!), and they don’t need to know your address.

Find out more