Specialist services for young people

We have clinicians who specialise in the following clinical areas:

• Weight management
• Treatment and Rehabilitaiton of Complex Conditions (TRACCS)
• Chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS)
• Medically unexplained symptoms
• Rheumatology 
• Urology 
• Gender Incongruence
• Endocrinology
• Diabetes
• Gastroenterology
• General services
• Sickle Cell
• Allergy
• Post-Covid Syndrome (Long Covid)  

We see approximately 1,250 patients in our outpatients department. Our current waiting time is approximately eight weeks for an outpatient appointment. 

The Adolescent Unit 

The Adolescent Unit aims to make the young person’s hospital journey as positive as possible, and recognises that each individual is unique with varying needs. 

All patients receive the support of an expert multidisciplinary team (MDT). The team meet weekly to ensure regular communication between team members and support a holistic approach to patient care. 

The multidisciplinary team consists of:

• Medical teams – We have clinicians who specialise in treating a wide variety of conditions for teenagers 
• Nursing teams – All of our nurses are specially trained to care for 13-18 year olds. In addition we have an adolescent clinical nurse specialist who provides trust-wide specialist nursing advice for the general adolescent population. This includes staff training and teaching, nurse-led clinics, psycho-social support, parental support and guidance, patient advocacy and acting as the main point of contact for all young people across the trust. 
• Youth Support Coordinators – their role enables young people to cope better with their condition by offering them choice and control, and building their self esteem. Well-equipped recreational areas also provide a valuable space to meet other patients undergoing similar treatment, this plays a vital role in facilitating peer support. 
• The Learning Space – for long term patients staying on the ward a teacher is attached to the service and coordinates study with the patient’s school, where applicable. 
• Psychological support – is provided before, during and after treatment in response to the patients’ needs and requests. Work takes place with patients and their parents to help them understand and support the issues raised for them by their condition and its treatment. 
• Physiotherapy – patients who require physiotherapy have an individualised programme designed to help improve mobility, muscle strength and stamina. 
• Occupational therapy – support allows patients to improve their quality of life by a mixture of group and individual work around sleep, personal care, functional and pyscho-social skills.
• Nutritional support – our dietician assesses nutritional needs of patients and advises them on how best these can be meet. 
• Social care – A senior social worker is based on the young people’s unit who is employed by University College Hospital to support young people and their families. This can include supporting communication between the patient’s family and the medical and nursing staff, benefits advice, housing advice and support with family or social problems.