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.
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.
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.
Early Years Advice
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.
NHS Start for Life
Trusted NHS help and advice during pregnancy, birth and parenthood.
Family Support
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.
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
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.
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.
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.