General health services are available to everyone. This means you do not always need a referral to use them.
Before your appointment
It may be helpful to inform the person you're seeing that you may need a 'reasonable adjustment' for your child.
These adjustments could include:
- a longer appointment
- Easy Read documents to help you understand the appointment
- clear instructions on how to get to the appointment
Mencap provides useful information and resources about reasonable adjustments:
Some general health services in Hounslow include:
- general practitioners (GPs)
- dental services
- pharmacy services
- opticians (eyesight)
- audiology (hearing)
- bladder and bowel services
- speech and language therapy
- occupational therapy
- hospitals
- urgent care centres
- school health services
- sexual health services
- health visiting
You can find a service near you on the NHS website.
GPs are your first point of contact for any non-emergency health issues. They provide many services including:
- routine check-ups
- vaccinations
- support for chronic health conditions
GPs also provide free annual health checks (NHS website) to young people aged 14 and over who are on their GP’s learning disability register (NHS website).
Anyone in England can register with a GP free of charge, and you do not need:
- ID
- proof of address
- proof of immigration status
- an NHS number (one will be given to you once you register)
You can learn more about how to register for a GP on the NHS website.
Healthy teeth help your child stay happy and well. In Hounslow, there are NHS and private dentists who can check your child’s teeth, clean them, and fix any problems. Going to the dentist often helps stop toothaches and holes in teeth.
You can find your nearest dentist on the NHS website.
Dental services are free for children under 18. Make sure you keep track of your child’s dental health by booking regular appointments. Specialised dental services are available for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).
You can learn more about dental support for children with SEND on the SEND Local Offer website.
Pharmacies can help with things like colds, rashes, and allergies. Pharmacists are trained to give you good advice and can answer questions about your or your child’s medicine. They also help you get your prescriptions.
Many pharmacies in Hounslow are open in the evening and at weekends to help your family.
Opticians help you look after your eyes. They can check your vision and see if you need glasses. They also help with eye problems like blurry vision or sore eyes.
Children under 16 can get free eye tests and glasses through the NHS.
You can learn more about free NHS eye tests on the NHS website.
Many opticians in Hounslow are open on weekends and after school.
Audiology assesses hearing and balance disorders.
The children's audiology service in Hounslow Community Healthcare specialises in children’s hearing from 0 to 25 years old, depending on if they have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP).
You can learn more about the children’s audiology service on the West London NHS Trust website.
For ages 2 to 18
The bladder and bowel team offers advice and support about bladder, bowel and toileting issues for children and young people aged 2 to 18 years.
Anyone can make a referral to this team.
You can learn more about the children’s bladder and bowel service on the West London NHS Trust website.
For ages 18 and over
If you are over 18 and have bowel or bladder issues, you should contact your GP. They are able to refer to the adult service.
You can learn more about the adult continence bladder and bowel service on the West London NHS Trust website.
Find a toilet: The Great British Public Toilet Map
The Great British Public Toilet Map is a free online service that helps you find a public toilet near you.
You can search by location, such as a public landmark (for example, Trafalgar Square or London Bridge), street name or postcode. The results will show you:
- where the toilet is
- which genders it is for
- whether it is accessible
- whether it has baby changing facilities
- whether there is a cost to use it
You can find a toilet near you by using the Great British Public Toilet Map website.
For ages 0 to 5
Our Family Hubs have speech and language therapists (SaLT) and occupational therapists (OT) available once a week for children aged 0 to 5 years.
These therapists can answer questions or provide information on how best to support your child’s communication, cognition and sensory development.
You can speak with a SaLT and an OT during:
- a ‘Stay and Play’ session, which is a fun and stimulating environment for parents and children (aged 0 to 5 years) to play together
- a ‘Meet a therapist’ session, which is open to children who have not already been referred to the NHS speech and language service, offering advice on how to support your child’s communication (Please note you can only attend these sessions if you have been referred by Family Hub or Children Centre teams.)
SaLTs and OTs are available at our Family Hubs on the following days:
- Family Hub Central (Lampton) - Wednesday
- Family Hub West (Feltham) - Wednesday
- Family Hub East (Brentford) - Monday
For ages 5 to 19
If your child is aged between 5 and 19 and you’re concerned about their development, you can speak to the special educational needs co-ordinator (SENCO) at your child’s education setting. The SENCO can advise about what support is available.
If your child has an EHCP
If your child has an EHCP, it might state that they require support from a SaLT, an OT or both.
Your child's school is responsible for providing the therapy listed in your child’s EHCP.
The NHS only provides this service if your child attends a specialist centre in a mainstream school. If your child attends a special school, the school employs SaLT and OT therapists.
The West London NHS Trust provides a range of mental and physical health services. These include both inpatient and outpatient services in several hospital and community sites throughout Ealing, Hammersmith, Fulham and Hounslow. They include:
- Ashford Hospital
- Charing Cross Hospital
- Ealing Hospital
- Teddington Urgent Treatment Centre
- West Middlesex Hospital
If you have private healthcare insurance, you may be able be able to access private medical facilities not on NHS sites.
In an emergency
In an emergency, phone 999 and ask for the ambulance service.
The operator will ask you what the problem is and where you are, including address and postcode. If you are unsure, they will be able to roughly see where you are using phone tracking. To be accurate, you can also use your what3words co-ordinates to help them find you.
You can download the what3words app by visiting your mobile phone’s app store or going to the what3words website.
For non-emergency advice
If you need general medical advice or are unsure where to go, telephone 111.
The operator will ask you questions about what is wrong and will be able to direct you to nearby healthcare services if necessary.
Only call 111 when it's not an emergency.
School nurses help keep students healthy. They do routine health checks, give immunisations, and teach about health.
You can learn more by contacting your child’s school or visiting the School nursing in Hounslow page on the West London NHS Trust website.
Young Hounslow Sexual Health provides information and support for parents and carers of young people with SEND. Subjects include:
- relationships
- puberty
- sexual health
They can also provide:
- one-to-one support for young people in the community or at school
- training for professionals who are working with children and young people with SEND
They have a drop-in clinic for young people every Friday between 2pm and 4pm at the Heart of Hounslow Sexual Health Clinic. This will be in a confidential space where you can ask questions, get advice, and talk about experiences with one of the team members.
You can refer yourself to the service by email: younghounslowrse@turning-point.co.uk
You can also speak to a sexual health adviser at any of the borough’s sexual health clinics:
- Isleworth - Twickenham House, West Middlesex Hospital, TW7 6AF
- Hounslow - Heart of Hounslow, 92 Bath Road, TW3 3EL
- Feltham - Feltham Centre for Health, TW13 4GU (offers a young persons' walk-in session every Wednesday from 2pm to 4pm)
The Chelsea and Westminster Hospital website gives information on how to contact, find and book appointments at Hounslow's sexual health clinics.
Easy Read guides
The health visiting team in Hounslow provides support for all aspects of child health, development and parenting.
The service is available for families with children from zero to five years old.
You can learn more about the health visiting service on the West London NHS Trust website.
