Physiotherapy for children in Camden

The office is open from 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday. Before and after school appointment slots are available.

The physiotherapy service for children in Camden works with babies and children and young people who have difficulties with movement and have been referred into the service. 

Please use the Single Point of Referral (SPOR) form to make a referral. 

The service also works with children and young people who are at the Royal Free Hospital, helping them to return home safely after orthopaedic surgery, injury or illness.

The service also treats some babies, children and young people in hospital with acute respiratory difficulties and may be involved in working with newborn babies with developmental or orthopaedic issues on the postnatal and neonatal wards.

Physiotherapy involves an initial assessment and a treatment plan being made if treatment is required.

Patients and their parents/carers will always be involved in decisions around their care.

Children and young people are supported in learning how to carry out their physiotherapy exercises at home and work them in their daily routine, as well as given advice about beneficial physical activity. 

Physiotherapy treatment will be based on the assessed needs, current evidence and guidelines, and may include:

• advice on targeted exercise and footwear
• general advice on activity and sport
• exercises to stretch and/or strengthen, improve balance, coordination, core stability and sometimes neurodevelopmental therapy, helping optimise functional movement
• splinting, casting or providing orthotics where appropriate
• provision of mobility aids
• advice for disabled children and young people about maintaining good posture in a variety of positions including seating to support function and comfort
• treating respiratory, orthopaedic and other conditions affecting mobility or breathing while an inpatient on the children’s ward at the Royal Free Hospital
• working with those who have had orthopaedic surgery who need to be mobile to go home   
• treating babies and young children for delayed motor skills, orthopaedic and neurological conditions

After assessment, the physiotherapist will recommend the appropriate treatment based on their assessment findings.

The decision may be to:

• assess, reassure and advise only
• provide one-to-one physiotherapy including exercise and advice
• provide group physiotherapy sessions 
• refer for orthotics/special equipment 

Children are treated in specialist clinics, the Royal Free Hospital outpatient department, their home, nursery, school, Kentish Town Health Centre and other community settings. 

Physiotherapists aim to provide a family-centred approach to treatment, working closely with the child/young person and their parent/carer.

In schools and nurseries, physiotherapists also work closely with the education staff to support the child and implement physiotherapy advice and recommendations. 

In clinics and the hospital setting, there is also a close working relationship with the multidisciplinary team such as doctors, nurses, occupational therapists and speech and language therapists.

Download a leaflet about physiotherapy for children from the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy.

• Babies, children and young people aged from birth to 18 years of age who are registered with a GP in the London borough of Camden may be referred to the children's physiotherapy service.
• Students attending Swiss Cottage School who have physiotherapy provision documented on their Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) and are aged up to 19 years.
• Children and young people who attend a mainstream school in Camden and have physiotherapy provision documented on an EHCP.

The Ponseti service accepts referrals for babies who may not live in Camden.