Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Fees are charged at an hourly rate.

Please contact us for further informationand Mark can provide you with a specific quotation for your requirements.

Some staff are recognised by private health insurance providers so patients covered by BUPA, Aviva or other private schemes may be able to claim their fees, or a proportion of them, back depending on what their policy covers. We do not accept AXA PPP cover. We advise that you contact your health insurance company to ensure that they will cover the cost of treatment.

Please contact us  with details of your particular enquiry. We will aim to respond as soon as possible.

Your child’s NHS entitlement should not be affected if you elect to use private physiotherapy treatment. We have experienced working in NHS and private sector and recognise that communication regarding the ‘shared’ patient is essential. If you are already seeing an NHS physiotherapist then with your consent we will contact them to ensure that our approaches to your child’s physiotherapy are consistent and that you are not being given conflicting information. Sometimes you may see us more than the NHS physiotherapist and they may prefer us to take the lead for example showing programmes to nursery and school staff or letting them know that you have outgrown equipment etc. Other times they will take the lead and we will supplement the physiotherapy they provide. It is helpful but not essential to discuss your child’s physiotherapy with our NHS counterpart so that we know the services and equipment that they can provide. These often vary from one Trust to another and will impact on our recommendations, which must remain realistic at all times.

If you are on a waiting list for physiotherapy then with your consent we will provide a written or verbal report so that the NHS physiotherapists are fully informed of our progress when they initially assess your child. At this stage you may wish to withdraw from private physiotherapy treatment. If this is the case please do not feel reluctant or embarrassed, part of our role is to initiate physiotherapy at the earliest possible stage – a key benefit of choosing private treatment.

We will continually observe your baby or child in their home or at nursery, school and undertake a full and regular holistic assessment of their needs. We observe not only their movements and activities but how they actually do them. In addition we will need to examine their joints and muscles to understand the extent of their condition.

To ensure a holistic and if appropriate inter-disciplinary approach to your child’s care we will ask for your consent to gain information from other professionals working with your child.

With regards to the actual physiotherapy activities there are a whole range of techniques and approaches that are used with children and we will discuss the options we regard as most appropriate for you and your child at your appointment.

Our philosophy is that we treat parents, families and their children in the manner in which we would expect to be treated if it was our family or our child needing physiotherapy.

You can expect us to listen to you and your child and to be honest in our responses. If we genuinely feel that we are unable to help you and your family we will direct you to the right people. We will manage your expectations as to your child’s current and future progress (We may not be able to do this at the first session as we may need to see how you child responds to physiotherapy) and to provide the emotional support which is essential in developing a relationship with you and your child.

“We’ve seen amazing progress in only 3 sessions“
Mother of a 14 month old baby newly diagnosed with cerebral palsy.

You may expect a highly professional but personal service. Our practice manager can offer a prompt response to telephone and email enquiries but would ask that you appreciate that as the physiotherapists spend most of their time with children if you need to speak to them directly there will be a delay before they can call you back.

This will depend on your child’s needs and the reason they need to see us. We think it is important that your child is seen in an environment in which they are comfortable and relaxed. Some children are better surrounded by their own belongings such as toys and computer games, whereas other children are then too distracted. Seeing a child in their own home means that their programme can fit around the life you lead and that it is totally transferable to your own environment. For example advising on ‘wii’ activities, rearranging your cushions to encourage development or finding a surface at the right height to aid your baby or child to stand, cruise or walk. However we can also show you how to adapt a programme when you visit us in clinic.

It may be easier for your child to engage in activities that have physiotherapy benefits in a familiar environment and if they use their own belongings such as toys, balls and ‘wii’ games etc. This can aid motivation and encourage a positive attitude towards our work together. However we can advise on the creative use of day to day household items and furniture to develop their programme at home without the need for expensive specialist equipment in our clinic and it is cheaper and more flexible as no travel is involved for our therapists.

We recognise that todays parents often have to work and that their child may be at nursery or using extended school services, therefore during the week their programme will need to be integrated into these environments. It is our experience that children need down-time after a full day in education so sessions scheduled outside their ‘normal day’ are unlikely to be as beneficial. In these cases we will see your child at their nursery or school.  Certainly if your child experiences some or all of their difficulties whilst at nursery or school this may be a more appropriate place to see them anyway.

Please see map for details of our clinics.

For those undergoing Hydrotherapy treatment this will be held at the Tadworth Childrens Trust, Chase Childrens Hospice in Guildford, Cox Heath in Kent, East Sussex or your local pool.

We would be failing in our duty of care to offer advice over the phone without having actually assessed your child in person. However, we will be able to tell you whether Physiotherapy is likely to help or whether it would be more appropriate to see another professional such as an Occupational Therapist or to speak to your GP.