Referrals will be accepted from Community Paediatricians, GPs, health care professionals and families by electric referral or by posting the referral form to the details above or via SystmOne. All referrals are initially triaged and prioritised based on clinical need.

The service can often accept ‘self-referrals’ directly from families, but there are times when further information is needed from the health professionals involved in their care prior to the referral being formally accepted.

Referral criteria:

• Babies, infants and children aged from Birth – 16 years old (19 year old with Special Educational Needs and Disability SEND)
• Faltering growth / poor weight gain.
• Children requiring enteral tube feeding.
• Acute or chronic illness requiring nutritional support.
• Preterm infants with poor weight gain or those requiring specialist feeding.
• Confirmed food allergies and intolerances (See exclusion criteria)
• Dietetic support for conditions including Coeliac Disease.
• Constipation, only if coupled with significantly reduced food intake and / or faltering growth and only after first line advice has been provided.
• Primary iron deficiency anaemia.
• Advice and support for weith management 0-5years of age with a BMI >98^th centile.
• Advice and support for weight management for children >5 yrs of age where a group setting is not suitable.
• Selective and restrictive eaters with limited diets where there is significantly reduced food intake and or faltering growth and first line advice has been provided.
• Difficulty with swallowing that affects a child/young person’s ability to eat and drink
• Difficulty with sucking, chewing and oromotor impairment
• Learning, physical, communication, sensory, and behavioural needs which results in nutritional and/or developmental concerns

Exclusion Criteria:

• Children not registered with a local Basildon, Brentwood or Thurrock GP.
• Weight management referrals >5yrs of age
  • Thurrock: refer to School Health Service 0300 300 1526 / thurrockschoolhealth@nhs.net   
  • Basildon and Brentwood: ACE Children’s Health Improvement Programmes -  0800 022 4524  Activity - Connect Well Essex 
• Eating disorders and ARFID –
  • Refer to EWMHS Eating Disorders or ARFID Team - 0800 953 0222
• Diabetes
  • Refer to Acute Paediatricians at childs local hospital
• Multiple delayed and/or single or multiple immediate food allergies
  • Refer to Acute Paediatricians at childs local hospital
• Delayed Cows milk and Soya allergy
  • Refer to Oviva Cows Milk Allergy Service via the Health Visitor or GP.
• When primary dietetic management is provided by specialist tertiary services who do not require tube feeding – I.e Ketogenic diet, Cystic Fibrosis, inborn errors of metabolism.