Take a look at some of our most frequently asked questions from our clients below, just click a question to see the answer. If your question isn't answered below contact us and we will be happy to help.
A. We provide physiotherapy assessment and treatment for a wide range of paediatric conditions and injuries including sports injuries, muscle and joint problems, orthopaedic conditions, neurological conditions, developmental delay and Developmental Co-ordination Disorders, Sensory Perception Disorders, Autistic Spectrum Disorders, acquired brain injuries, birth injuries, and complex trauma. We also see children with long-term and complex needs who may require ongoing rehabilitation. It may be that if your child is very young, they do not yet have a diagnosis so may not have seen another health professional before they come to physiotherapy.
A. We can assess and treat any child from birth to 16 years of age. After this age, certain specific childhood disorders may still require input from a Paediatric Physiotherapist who specialises in these conditions. However, it may be more appropriate for your child to see one of our physiotherapists who deals with adults only.
A. You can refer your child directly for assessment and treatment at Yorkshire Children’s Physiotherapy, therefore you do not need a referral before you make an appointment. If you are using your health insurance policy to cover the cost of the sessions, your insurance company may ask you to see your own GP first, to obtain a referral letter, before they will authorise your treatment and cover your costs. Individual companies differ so please check with them first before arranging an appointment. We also accept referrals from GPs, Consultants, Solicitors and Case Managers, if you have been informed by one of these sources that your child needs physiotherapy intervention.
A. Your child can be assessed and treated within one of our dedicated clinics, (see clinic locations page) however we also provide a mobile service covering the Yorkshire area, if you would prefer that your child is seen at home or at their school. A pricing structure may apply depending upon your location and if travel costs need to be included. Please speak with a member of the team about this for an individual quote. Please note that travel costs do not apply when the sessions are carried out at one of our clinic locations.
A. Depending upon your availability, the source of the referral (for example via an insurance company) and your preferred location, Yorkshire Children’s Physiotherapy endeavours to see all new clients within 48-72 hours of referral.
A. Our Specialist Paediatric Physiotherapist will initially ask you some questions about your child; their difficulties, their general health, and the nature of your concerns about them. Following this, and with your consent, she will then undertake a thorough assessment of your child to observe the nature of their problems in order to gather more in-depth information about their condition. Following the assessment, she will discuss her findings with you, and talk through what she believes the most appropriate treatment options to be. You are invited to ask any questions you may have at any point throughout the assessment process.
If physiotherapy treatment is required, the short and long-term goals for your child will be discussed, and a physiotherapy rehabilitation programme will be devised. If no further physiotherapy intervention is necessary, you will be provided with any appropriate advice and home exercises, and reassured about the nature of your child’s difficulties.
If physiotherapy treatment is required, the short and long-term goals for your child will be discussed, and a physiotherapy rehabilitation programme will be devised. If no further physiotherapy intervention is necessary, you will be provided with any appropriate advice and home exercises, and reassured about the nature of your child’s difficulties.
A. In general, the initial assessment appointment lasts up to an hour. This allows sufficient time for our Specialist Paediatric Physiotherapist to speak to you in detail about your child and your concerns, and to assess your child thoroughly. It also enables her to have time to discuss her findings and recommendations with you, provide advice and home exercises as necessary, as well as giving you plenty of opportunity to ask any questions that may arise during the assessment process.
A. If your child requires physiotherapy treatment with us, the frequency of the sessions will largely depend upon their specific condition/injury, their presenting difficulties, and the aims of the physiotherapy rehabilitation programme. They will be reviewed at each session so that the frequency of treatment may be changed in response to their progress and their ongoing needs. Your child may require a one-off assessment and treatment, regular weekly treatment sessions, short bursts of physiotherapy intervention, or perhaps a periodic review, (for example once a month). The physiotherapy plan will always be discussed with you first, before embarking upon a programme or course of treatment.
A. The length of subsequent treatment sessions may vary depending upon your child’s treatment plan, their individual needs and their tolerance to rehabilitation/exercise (how quickly they tire and for how long they can concentrate before therapy becomes less effective). Certain children benefit from shorter, more regular half-hour sessions in order to maximise the effects of their physiotherapy treatment, whereas others may require longer sessions of up to an hour or more, if they present with complex needs which require more in-depth therapy within each session. The cost of each treatment session will therefore be charged accordingly.
A. There are both daytime and evening appointments available during the week and daytime appointments on Saturdays. There are no physiotherapy clinics on Sundays. We do try our best to work around you and your family, as we appreciate that things can be hectic and you may also feel that your child is more responsive at certain times of the day. Individual arrangements can be made directly with our Specialist Paediatric Physiotherapist at the time of booking.
A. The cost of a physiotherapy initial session and follow-up treatment sessions may vary depending upon how much time is required for that particular session. This will be discussed with you at the time of booking the appointment with your physiotherapist and the price will need to be agreed with yourself before the session is undertaken. The reason we do not have a standard fixed time allocation for physiotherapy sessions, is because some children will only require 30 minutes of treatment for their particular condition and their progress, whilst others my require longer.
Regarding home visits, there may be an additional charge to account for travel costs. This is dependent upon your location and should be discussed with a member of the team when arranging your first appointment.
Yorkshire Children’s Physiotherapy is registered with all the major private health insurance companies including BUPA, AXA-PPP, Pru Health, Standard Life, WPA and Simply Health. Therefore, if you have a personal health insurance policy, your physiotherapy costs may be covered in full or in part through that company. Please check directly with your insurance company to find out if they will cover the cost of your child’s physiotherapy treatment. You will usually be given an authorisation number which you should bring with you to the first session, and you should always check whether you have an excess arrangement on your policy, which may mean that you have an amount to pay yourself towards treatment.
We are also registered with many reimbursement schemes such as Simply Health (formerly Leeds Hospital Fund) and Sovereign Health and can provide receipts for all payments made if you are able to claim your costs back.
Regarding home visits, there may be an additional charge to account for travel costs. This is dependent upon your location and should be discussed with a member of the team when arranging your first appointment.
Yorkshire Children’s Physiotherapy is registered with all the major private health insurance companies including BUPA, AXA-PPP, Pru Health, Standard Life, WPA and Simply Health. Therefore, if you have a personal health insurance policy, your physiotherapy costs may be covered in full or in part through that company. Please check directly with your insurance company to find out if they will cover the cost of your child’s physiotherapy treatment. You will usually be given an authorisation number which you should bring with you to the first session, and you should always check whether you have an excess arrangement on your policy, which may mean that you have an amount to pay yourself towards treatment.
We are also registered with many reimbursement schemes such as Simply Health (formerly Leeds Hospital Fund) and Sovereign Health and can provide receipts for all payments made if you are able to claim your costs back.
A. Most children recover fully from their injuries without a further need for physiotherapy involvement, and with no residual problems. Children tend to heal quickly and often bounce back speedily from injury and illness. However, for some paediatric conditions, there is no cure. Children who have specific neurological conditions, severe traumatic brain injuries or developmental problems may not achieve a full recovery, due to the irreversible nature of their condition or their profound difficulties. In these circumstances, the aim of physiotherapy is to work together with the child and their family, in order to maximise their potential, achieve an optimal functional outcome, improve their quality of life and provide the best possible future for them. Physiotherapy treatment is provided for different reasons for each individual child, the aims of which are unique to them.
The team at Yorkshire Children’s Physiotherapy works closely with everyone involved in the rehabilitation process, to develop your child’s skills, improve their self-confidence, and reach their individual goals, whether this is returning to playing football, ballet dancing, or simply being able to stand upright from sitting using the support of a frame. Specialist physiotherapy input can provide parents with an insight into their child’s behaviour and their needs, and help to establish roles that, as parents, they can play as an essential and integral part of the rehabilitation team.
The team at Yorkshire Children’s Physiotherapy works closely with everyone involved in the rehabilitation process, to develop your child’s skills, improve their self-confidence, and reach their individual goals, whether this is returning to playing football, ballet dancing, or simply being able to stand upright from sitting using the support of a frame. Specialist physiotherapy input can provide parents with an insight into their child’s behaviour and their needs, and help to establish roles that, as parents, they can play as an essential and integral part of the rehabilitation team.
A. The answer is yes. We are more than happy to provide private physiotherapy for your child, either as an interim whilst they await an appointment from the NHS, or as additional input if they are already seeing an NHS physiotherapist. Our Specialist Paediatric Physiotherapist can work alongside the NHS team, liaising with them as necessary, to help meet the needs of your child and achieve the best outcome possible. Private physiotherapy is sometimes arranged to provide short, intense bursts of treatment in between NHS physiotherapy sessions, which maximises the effects of rehabilitation. It is advisable that all parties involved with your child’s rehabilitation are made aware of who is providing therapy treatment and at what stage. This helps to ensure that the treatment provided is not only effective and timely, but also in collaboration with the aims of all the health professionals involved.
A. As part of the assessment and treatment process, it may be necessary to partially undress your child in order to see the specific body areas affected by the condition / injury, and also to apply certain manual therapy techniques to the area, such as massage therapy. This will only ever be carried out with your full consent and whilst you are present. Please therefore make sure that your child is suitably attired, wearing clothes such as a loose-fitting t-shirt, shorts, or track pants / jogging bottoms, as this will help us to access the specific areas of the body we need to as part of their treatment and rehabilitation.
Your child may also have a favourite toy, picture book or dummy that helps to focus their attention or relaxes them, which you may wish to bring along to the sessions. Please feel free to do so if you think this will help. We do have an array of toys and therapeutic equipment to use as part of the physiotherapy sessions, but if there is something that your child particularly loves to play with, it may help with their compliance with therapy and therefore make the sessions even more effective.
Your child may also have a favourite toy, picture book or dummy that helps to focus their attention or relaxes them, which you may wish to bring along to the sessions. Please feel free to do so if you think this will help. We do have an array of toys and therapeutic equipment to use as part of the physiotherapy sessions, but if there is something that your child particularly loves to play with, it may help with their compliance with therapy and therefore make the sessions even more effective.
