The new process, which commenced on 26 January, will ensure that information arrives quickly with the right team. When referrers go to the SCYPS section on the Trust's website here, a Chatbot message will pop up inviting referrers to select the specific SCYPS team they wish to refer to. They then need to complete the information fields as usual and then press 'Send' to submit it.
Sarah Skeels, General Manager of SCYPS explains. She says, "This new option will mean that information will go straight to the team that the child or young person requires. It will speed things up and mean that the family will be in contact with the service in a more timely way. It will also mean that the specialist team will get key information that they need from the very start."
The referrers can select one of the following teams:
- Speech and Language Therapy
- Occupational Therapy
- Physiotherapy
- Children's Community Nursing Service
- Paediatricians
- Autism Diagnostic Service
- Dietetics
Anyone unsure of the service they want to request or who need advice on a patient's specialist need, can email: elft.scyps@nhs.net for more help.
The service is not switching off the previous referral method until they are fully sure the chatbot is working to its optimum. So the previous online referral form will remain on the page for the moment - but the chatbot is quicker!
The SCYPS team hope this new approach will make things easier for referrers and provide a better service for Newham families who need help and support.