Coronavirus – health and wellbeing

If you, your child or any member of your household has symptoms of coronavirus (a high temperature or a new, continuous cough or loss of your sense of smell), use the 111 coronavirus service online first. This will guide you about what to do next. Here is the government’s advice about self-isolation

Testing for coronavirus has been extended and is now open to anyone who has symptoms, whatever their age. Essential workers (including unpaid carers) can also get a test if they are self-isolating because another member of their household has symptoms. Find out more about who is eligible and how to request a test.

If your child’s condition does not improve after 7 days or symptoms worsens, you should contact NHS 111

Most people with disabilities or underlying medical conditions are not considered to be more vulnerable to coronavirus. Some people with specific health issues were considered to fall into an extremely vulnerable group. People with some other underlying conditions such as asthma, diabetes and cerebral palsy (along with pregnant women and over 70s) were thought to be more clinically vulnerable than the rest of the population. Scientific advice now is that the risk of serious illness is different for children than for adults. For most children and young people the risk is very low, even if they have conditions like asthma, kidney disease or diabetes. Many of the children initially identified as clinically extremely vulnerable (see below) are also no longer thought to be at such a high risk. There is a list you can check to see if your child or anyone in your household is at higher risk than the rest of the population and whether they are high risk (clinically extremely vulnerable) or moderate risk (clinically vulnerable). Public Health England has also identified other groups that seem to be at higher risk including being from a Black, Asian or minority ethnic background. Check current government advice  on who is at high or moderate risk.

From 1 August, the guidance on shielding for children and young people who are particularly vulnerable changed, as shielding paused for everyone in England.

The government’s latest general shielding guidance says that the majority of children currently considered  clinically extremely vulnerable to COVID-19 will be able to be removed from the shielded patient list in coming weeks. Specialists and GPs will be to contacting children and their families to discuss this over the summer, so families do not need to take any immediate action.You can read more about this from the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health.

From 1 August, when shielding  paused, the government is advising people to adopt strict social distancing, rather than full shielding measures. Strict social distancing means that children and young people may go out to more places and see more people, but should always stay at least two metres apart from anyone from outside their household or ‘support bubble’. In practice, this means:

• You can return to childcare, college or university
• If you are school-age then you are allowed to go to school from September
• You can go outside to buy food, to places of worship and for exercise

See an easyread version of the new shielding advice or get further information materials for SEND children and young people from MENCAP.

People who are highly vulnerable to coronavirus and their families can still call on NHS volunteer responders if they need extra help to stay safe and well.  These volunteers can deliver medicines, shopping and other supplies, as well as making calls to check in on those isolating at home. If someone in your household is in this extremely vulnerable group you can also get local help from your local Community Hub if you have needs that family and friends can’t meet:

Brighton & Hove Community Hub 

East Sussex Community Hubs

At the start of the pandemic hospital staff were told to use NICE guidance that was to help them make decisions about who was likely to be able to benefit from intensive care using guidelines written with very frail elderly people in mind (the Clinical Frailty Scale or CFS). It was clarified quite swiftly that the CFS should not be used for assessing younger people, people with stable long term disabilities, learning disabilities, autism or cerebral palsy. They should be looked at individually instead. Nevertheless, if your child has more complex disabilities and needs hospital care due to COVID-19, be alert to the application of ‘Do Not Attempt Resuscitation (DNAR)’ notices and any discussion about treatment decisions, such as a decision ‘not to escalate’ which would mean not to admit to intensive care. Ask for a second opinion if you do not agree with the treatment plan.

If you or anyone in your household has symptoms of coronavirus you should follow the NHS advice about staying at home and self-isolating 

People self-isolating with suspected coronavirus symptoms can opt to get regular texts from an NHS 111 online messaging service. This will check how people are and ensure that those who need help to get them through that period, receive it.

Self-isolating has additional challenges if you are a carer, especially for sole-carers. Unpaid carers can request to be tested for COVID-19 if you or another member of your household have symptoms and suspect you have it, so you can find out if you need to self-isolate or not. Find out how to get tested here.  Think about writing an emergency plan just in case you are unexpectedly unable to continue caring if you become really ill. Carers UK have good tips about how to do this. And don’t hesitate to ask for help with practical things like shopping whilst you are self-isolating. There are community groups offering neighbourhood help.

See Covid Brighton & Hove, the new directory of local help which includes both longstanding community groups and the new Covid-19 mutual aid groups in the city.

See East Sussex Covid 19 Facebook group or search for your own more locally.

Some individuals and neighbourhoods have been offering help via a #viralkindness postcard and Amaze has set up a version of this card that enables neighbours to offer particular help to families who have a member with additional needs.

If friends, neighbours or a local community group are not able to give the help you need you can contact the Community Hub to ask for help

Brighton & Hove community hub

East Sussex Community Hubs

There are easy to read, video resources and social stories explaining coronavirus for children and young people. And easy read and BSL resources for adults. Here are some of the best ones we have found, but note that some of these now have out of date sections, for example about having to stay indoors.

• This is a great children’s guide to coronavirus created by the Children’s Commissioner for England
• A social story
• National Autistic Society guides plain text and with widgits
• Easy read guides with widgits from a children’s hospital including one if you need to visit hospital with pictures of masks and eye shields
• A story to read with your child, available in English and 16 other languages
• Makaton films of useful signs and explaining social distancing and free Makaton resources
• BSL information updates
• Also see National Deaf Children’s Society
• Resources suitable for adults with learning disabilities
• Mencap – Easy Read guide to Coronavirus and other easy read resources here
• Coronavirus information in 45 languages
• Mencap’s Easy Read guide to shielding changes from 6th July 

There have been some news reports about vitamin D reducing the risk of coronavirus. There is no medical evidence for this. However, Vitamin D is important for our health (adults and children) and there is a risk of being short when self-isolating and staying indoors more than normal as our bodies make it from exposure to sunlight. For this reason, the NHS advice now is to consider taking 10 micrograms of vitamin D a day if you are not getting regular exposure to sunlight. An over the counter supplement from supermarkets or pharmacies is suitable.

All patients registered at a GP Practice can still ask for appointments with a Doctor, Nurse, Healthcare Assistant or Social Prescriber. GPs are still able to make referrals and you should not delay contacting your GP if you have health concerns. Most GP Surgeries are conducting appointments via telephone or video consultation so you should check their website in the first instance. If this won’t work for you or your child because of their disability speak to your GP practice. For certain groups of patients, such as the deaf community, people with learning disabilities, people whose first language is not English and people who do not have access to the telephone, GP Practices are making alternative arrangements to ensure these patients can access appointments. Please check with your individual GP Practice. All local GPs now have a Video Relay Service (VRS), which offers telephone access and consultations to British Sign Language (BSL) users.

Remember, if you or your child has symptoms that suggest it could be coronavirus, do not go to a GP surgery, pharmacy or hospital as you could pass the infection to others. Visit NHS 111 online or call NHS 111 if you need to speak to someone.

GP-led ‘hot sites’ are being set up around Sussex exclusively for any patient with Covid-19 symptoms. You may be directed to one of these by your GP practice or NHS 111.

Routine dentistry (e.g. check ups) and orthodontic treatment stopped in March but dental practices started to reopen in June, although it will be some months before the services return to what we would recognise as normal, and this will depend on the further easing of Covid-19 control measures.

You should contact your dentist for your child or yourself if you need to by phone. Don’t go to the surgery without an appointment. Dentists will still be doing some telephone consultations and prioritising urgent dental care.

If you have an appointment bear in mind things will look different as they will be using Covid-19 social distancing and hygiene rules. Treatments may be different depending on the staff and equipment available to the team at the time. The dental team may also be wearing different protective equipment to what you are used to seeing and you will want to prepare your child for this. Emergency treatment is available even if you have Covid-19 symptoms. You will be referred to a treatment centre equipped for this.

Brighton & Hove

As we emerge from lockdown, assessments and therapies provided via the Seaside View Child Development Centre are gradually returning to normal. Paediatricians, therapists and specialist nurses will continue to work with families by telephone or video call but they are also increasing their face to face appointments. They have carried out environmental risk assessments for Seaside View and other sites to ensure face to face appointments are provided as safely as possible, and therapists are liaising with schools and children’s centres around visiting their sites. ​They may also visit children in their own homes, following social distancing guidelines.

Seaside View are not running face to face workshops or training sessions at the moment, but they are creating training videos which will be added to the  SCFT Youtube channel and developing online resources.

They are taking new referrals if these meet the usual referral criteria.

For telephone advice, to respond to urgent queries and provide signposting you can contact Child Development Services using these contact details:

Reception Phone: 01273 265 780 Email: sc-tr.bgh-seasideviewcdc@nhs.net

Community Paediatrics Phone: 01273 265 780 Email: sc-tr.bgh-seasideviewcdc@nhs.net

Occupational Therapy Phone: 01273 265 806 Email: SC-TR.OTSeasideview@nhs.net

Physiotherapy Phone: 01273 265 763 Email: SC-TR.SSVPhysiotherapy@nhs.net

Specialist Nursing Phone: 01273 242 061 Email: SC-TR.SpecialistNursingSSV@nhs.net

Speech and Language Therapy Phone 01273 242 079 Please contact by phone, email contact is not available

Audiology Phone: 01273 242 072 Email: sc-tr.childrensaudiologybrightonandhove@nhs.net

Read the latest information latest information on SEN interim arrangements here

School nurses are still able to offer confidential advice and support on a wide range of issues including behaviour, continence, sleep, healthy eating, self-harm, minor accidents and illnesses, and long term health conditions. You can text them on 07480 635423. Young people age 11-19 can also use this number to use the Chathealth service about any concerns or health issues.

East Sussex

East Sussex Therapy One Point (TOP) continues to be the first point of contact for families or professionals with any concerns about a child’s therapy, referrals or assessments. TOP is staffed by therapists from Monday to Friday, 9am to 4pm 0300 123 2652 or kentchft.citesonepoint@nhs.net

Paediatricians and therapists will continue with some of the new ways of working they developed during lockdown, such as video consultations and producing short video clips to teach parents and professionals how to deliver therapy programmes and these will be available on their website soon.

They are also planning the gradual return to face to face appointments. They are completing Covid-19 risk assessments for their offices and clinics in Crowborough and Polegate but the clinic at Ore won’t be available until January 2021, as this was converted into a COVID ‘Hot site’. They are looking for alternative premises.

CITES have also produced a general risk assessment to advise how NHS professionals will work within East Sussex educational settings from September including advice on what face to face contact is appropriate to provide within a nursery/ school or college setting. This advice will be sent out to schools and families through the schools daily COVID bulletin, and directly to the families of children that therapists will be visiting in school.

The Scott Unit in Eastbourne has been decommissioned to support the COVID response – a particular challenge as they are currently working with paediatricians to reset the ASD diagnostic pathway for children under 11. It is hoped that face to face ASD diagnostic clinics can start to be provided from Crowborough Memorial Hospital soon.

Urgent orthotic reviews or repairs are still available with John Florence at their clinic in Lewes, until additional COVID secure premises can be identified and reset.

Any East Sussex family with concerns regarding their child’s transition to a new school, or anxiety over how safe it is for their shielded child to return to school can  contact TOP for advice and support on 0300 123 2652 or kentchft.citesonepoint@nhs.net.

The School Health Service is operating in a different way at the moment. Referrals can be made through the single point of access  0300 123 4062 or  kentchft.esschoolhealthservice@nhs.net and phone appointments will be offered where appropriate. Chathealth confidential texting service for young people aged 11-19 is available as normal. Young people can text the school health team about any concerns or health issues on 07507 332473. The number is monitored Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.

Read more about how therapy services have adapted and developed during lockdown in our interview with child development service leads in East Sussex and Brighton & Hove

Brighton & Hove and East Sussex CCG’s are both continuing to offer annual health checks for people with learning disabilities as usual. This is a general health check for anyone aged 14 or over with learning disabilities, done by your GP once a year. You don’t need to be ill to get a health check, but you can ask your doctor about anything that is hurting or worrying you. Learn more about what to expect, including easy read information:

• Annual health checks in Brighton & Hove
• Annual health checks in East Sussex

Contact your doctor if you’re concerned about having an in-person appointment, as they may be able to offer you a video or phone appointment instead.

If your child needs urgent medical attention for a reason other than coronavirus don’t hold back because you are worried about risk of infection at hospitals or you feel we should not burden the health service at this time. Hospital staff are taking every precaution to keep patients safe. Use good judgement to decide whether to use NHS 111, your GP, A&E or calling 999 if your child needs you to. A&E departments are not closed and continue to be open to deal with genuine life-threatening emergencies See here for a quick guide to making decisions about going to hospital.

Health experts are concerned that some people with health issues that need urgent care are not seeking appropriate help. Professor Russell Viner, President of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health said: “If your child is unwell the NHS is here for you. If you’re worried, please get in touch with your GP, use NHS 111, or in serious cases come and see us in hospital. Children are unlikely to be unwell with Covid, but they do get sick and when this happens we want to see them.”

During the current coronavirus emergency, if it is necessary for your child to attend a&e, please limit the number of family members/carers who accompany your child to the minimum. Alert the department by telephoning in advance if anyone in your family has recently been unwell. Be aware that they may need to take extra infection control measures which may limit where you can accompany your child in the hospital.

If your child has a more routine hospital appointment coming up, the hospitals are asking that you wait to hear and do not to call up the booking team unless it is absolutely necessary. During the peak of the pandemic some appointments were cancelled as staff had been moved to front line services. Appointments are being rescheduled, and new referrals will remain on hospital systems, and patients contacted in due course to rearrange appointments. Urgent and essential treatment is continuing with suitable precautions at all hospitals and paediatric units that serve children from East Sussex and Brighton & Hove.

The Royal Alex Children’s Hospital are minimising face to face clinic appointments so do not turn up at the hospital for an outpatient appointment. A clinician will telephone you on the date of your appointment via your given mobile number between 9am – 5pm. They will assess whether it essential for your child to be seen and if so an appointment will be arranged within 2 weeks.

Hospitals are still limiting who can visit. Most in-patients are allowed one visitor for one hour each day. This needs to be pre-booked and masks worn. Children and adults with additional needs can have a parent or carer visit them at any time. This means for children in hospital one parent/carer is permitted, no siblings. And for adults, one carer for a patient with additional needs that cannot be met by hospital staff.

Brighton & Hove

Read the latest information from the Royal Sussex County Hospital and the Royal Alex.

Make sure you have an up to date Hospital Passport or This is Me Care Passport for your child or young person.

East Sussex

Latest information for East Sussex Hospitals

Make sure you have an up to date Hospital Passport or This is Me Care Passport for your child or young person.

Most pharmacies are still open and repeat prescriptions should be available as usual. We are being asked to only request medicines when they are running low as you usually would, because ordering medicines too early or ordering more than usual can lead to fewer medicines in the system and potentially, shortages for others. Sussex health commissioners (the CCGs) say that manufacturers, wholesalers and pharmacies are working hard to minimise medicine shortages as a result of COVID-19.

Check your child’s supply of medication now and, if you are worried about running out, you should call your GP surgery and talk to them. You may be able to get a get a repeat prescription for the period of the crisis if you don’t currently have one set up. If your child would have been due a check before the prescription was next reordered they may override this for now if that is safe.

Patients are being encouraged to apply for repeat prescriptions online or using Prescription Ordering Direct (POD) phone service, if this is available with their GP practice. This will speed up the process for repeat prescriptions to be issued.

Getting prescriptions if you are self-isolating

Community pharmacies are extremely busy at the moment and are unlikely to be able to assist with home delivery if it is not normally something you receive.

If your pharmacy has been delivering your medicines at no extra charge because you are shielding, they may no longer be able to offer this service, as it was funded as part of the government’s shielding support package, which ended on July 31st. Some pharmacies may choose to continue to fund a delivery service themselves, but this might be restricted to certain patients. Your local pharmacy will tell you if it is doing this.

If you have a repeat prescription and are self-isolating, see if someone else is able to pick up the prescription for you. If you are isolating, have them drop it off outside your door so that you can avoid face-to-face contact. If friends and neighbours are not able to give the help you need, you can contact the Community Hub to ask for help:

Brighton & Hove Community Hub

East Sussex Community Hubs

NHS Volunteer Responders and local community support can help with delivering medicines from pharmacies, but it is best to check with your pharmacy first.

PPE like masks and gloves have been in short supply across all local authorities. Huge efforts have been made nationally to increase supply. If you need PPE for PAs coming into your home and can’t get it from your usual suppliers:

In Brighton & Hove you can now order PPE via the council. This is if it is for direct care such as support with washing and bathing, personal hygiene, contact with bodily fluids or if the person you care for has received a letter from their GP to indicate that they are in a vulnerable group and need to shield, or the household has symptoms of COVID-19.

In East Sussex, the council has information on their website with a couple of options including a form to request an emergency supply from the council.

Well Child, the national charity for sick children is offering help with PPE

We have written a guide for parents about what’s out there to help you look after your child’s mental wellbeing during this difficult time, including resources recommended by the team at Brighton & Hove Inclusion Support Service and a couple about taking care of yourself too. Keeping busy and active helps all of us so if you need some ideas and inspiration look at the Leisure Learning and Lockdown guides from Amaze’s Compass team. Although the Compass doesn’t cover East Sussex these guides are more universal.

The return to school or college in September for all children will help mental well being for some but create worry for others. We have a guide about returning to school, including resources to help your child adjust to the change.

Here are a few other key resources. Note that some of these were written early in the pandemic and may have out of date sections, for example about all having to stay indoors:

Children’s guide to coronavirus created by the Children’s Commissioner for England

Covibook is an interactive resource designed to support and reassure children aged 7 and under, for you to work through with your child to explain the emotions that they might be experiencing. Available in several languages.

A video by psychology and therapy services in London about supporting neurodiverse children during self-isolation

Young Minds – Talking to your child about Coronavirus and tips to support family mental wellbeing

National Autistic Society tips

Brighton & Hove: If you have particular concerns about your child’s emotional and mental health you can ask the Schools Wellbeing Service for a call from a Primary Mental Health Worker for a telephone consultation. This is for children who normally attend school in the city. Email SWSConsultationLine@brighton-hove.gov.uk or call 01273 293481. A Primary Mental Health Worker will call you back. This should be within two days, but they expect to have a high demand so it may be longer.

The Schools Wellbeing Service is also running virtual workshops for parents on issues like anxiety and sleep, catch up coffee mornings where you can chat and ask questions, and specific Q&A sessions with a primary mental health worker and a nurse. Email them to find out more.

East Sussex: If you are concerned about issues such as anxiety, wellbeing and behaviour you can call the new ISEND Parents and Carers Helpline to get advice from an educational psychologist. Call 01273 481967 and leave a message. ISEND educational psychology service have also written a guide for parents about emotional wellbeing that you can use to help your child manage emotions like anxiety whilst at home.

Young people: Young people (13-25) can use a new e-welbeing website which has launched earlier than planned so it can help during the CV19 crisis. It is an accessible guide to the mental health services available to young people in Sussex. It will also help them identify self help resources relevant to how they are feeling at the moment.

14-25 year olds living in East Sussex can access support through i-rock, which offers advice and support on emotional and mental wellbeing, The service continues to offer an 11-6pm provision daily through virtual clinic software, telephone or email. Young people interested in accessing support, whether or not they have used i-rock before, should make an initial enquiry by emailing irockhastings@gmail.com More information on i-rock

These are all advice and support services, not crisis lines. If you require immediate support you need to contact your child’s GP, call CAMHS duty care on 0300 3040061 (Brighton & Hove)  or the Single Point of Access 01323 464222 (East Sussex). Out of hours call the Sussex Mental Healthline on 0300 500 0101. In a life threatening situation call 999. The advice at the moment is not to go to A&E direct.

Brighton and Hove: The Wellbeing Service is still operating although not doing face to face work. They are offering video and telephone appointments and taking new referrals. Find out what the Brighton & Hove Wellbeing Service do and how to self-refer. This is also the route for new referrals to CAMHS in Brighton & Hove if you think they may now need that level of specialist help.

All Sussex Partnership Foundation trust (SPFT) services including CAMHS are continuing to run in Brighton & Hove.  As much as possible has been moved to telephone or online video consultation. Brighton & Hove CAMHS are running virtual workshops, structured groups and drop- in groups for referred cases. This includes starting a virtual weekly ASD and ADHD drop in advice and support session for those already referred who are either waiting to be assessed and/or are waiting for input re low mood and or anxiety. Assessments may be delayed.

For mental health emergencies call CAMHS duty care on 0300 3040061 or in a life threatening situation call 999. The advice at the moment is not to go to A&E direct.

East Sussex: All Sussex Partnership Foundation trust (SPFT) services including CAMHS are continuing to run in East Sussex, apart from group-based services which have stopped. As much as possible has been moved to telephone or online video consultation. For more about how Sussex CAMHS is working currently and to find advice for young people

If your child is not already being seen by CAMHS but you think they now need that level of mental health support you need to contact your child’s GP or the Single Point of Access 01323 464222 (East Sussex) who deal with all new referrals to CAMHS in East Sussex.

For mental health emergencies out of hours call the Sussex Mental Healthline on 0300 500 0101. In a life threatening situation call 999. The advice at the moment is not to go to A&E direct.

In the unhappy event that you need to know about how to support yourself and your family to deal with a bereavement there is a Sussex bereavement guide that covers both the practical and emotional aspects you will have to handle. For advice about how to help a child when someone they are close to dies or is very seriously ill, there is some help and resources from charities like Winston’s Wish. Read lots of advice on the Childhood Bereavement Network website.

National bereavement charity Cruse have advice for anyone bereaved at this time, whatever their age.

Locally the Schools Wellbeing Service (Brighton & Hove) or Educational Psychology Service (East Sussex) can offer advice and support. Contact details above.

Many people are experiencing additional stress, anxiety or feelings of isolation during the coronavirus crisis. Looking after your own well being is essential when you are a carer. You can contact the Amaze helpline via sendiass@amazesussex.org.uk  or 01273 772289 for ideas about where to get support. Amaze are running some online groups and drop ins for parents using video calls. You can find peer support from other parent carers on the Amaze Facebook Group or other online groups for parent carers. The following resources may also be useful:

The NHS Every Mind Matters site has all round mental well being advice

Anxiety UK are helpful if you are feeling anxious

Mind have advice on managing your mental health during coronavirus

If you recognise that your own mental health is becoming worrying, you can contact the Sussex Mental Health Line  0300 5000 101. This service is now open 24/7 as a response to the COVID-19 situation and the impact it is having on mental health across the community. It is run by Sussex Partnership Foundation NHS Trust and can give direct support for mental wellbeing and signpost you to other services appropriate for your needs.