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PAEDIATRIC OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY
Specialist care focused on your child’s needs
- Self-referrals available
- Inpatient and outpatient services
- Neurodiversity-affirming care
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PAEDIATRIC OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY AT HCA UK
Why choose us?
At The Portland Hospital, we understand that every child develops at their own pace and in their own way. It’s why we offer personalised paediatric occupational therapy that puts your child’s development and needs first.
Our expert therapists work as part of a multidisciplinary team with experts from across the wider HCA UK network, with therapies and medical support all under one roof, ensuring smooth, coordinated care that’s designed around your child’s specific needs. From play, self-care, and school skills to social, family and community integration skills , we focus on helping your child reach their full potential, supporting them – and you – every step of the way.
Occupational therapy helps children of all ages who are experiencing physical, sensory or cognitive differences, and children with acute care needs who need support with their short or long-term development.
The purpose of occupational therapy is to help children participate in daily activities to improve their health and wellbeing. Daily activities may include play and leisure (playing games with friends or developing play skills that support learning), self-care (such as using the toilet, washing, dressing and eating a meal), being productive (including attention and concentration, self-regulation and school skills).
As well as assessing your child’s needs and providing personalised care and support, our team will work closely with your child to help them improve their level of independence and quality of life.
Paediatric occupational therapy can help support children with physical, cognitive or sensory based challenges that impact their independence. We can help children to develop their gross and fine motor skills and work with them to improve their attention and concentration skills as well practical day-to-day skills such as dressing and self-feeding. We can also support them to develop play skills.
Common conditions that may require seeing a paediatric occupational therapist include:
- Cerebral palsy and other neurological conditions
- Down syndrome
- Autism spectrum disorder (ASD)
- Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
- Developmental delays
- Sensory processing disorders
Yes, you can. You don’t need to wait for a GP or consultant referral to access our therapy services – parents can contact us directly. Simply get in touch with our admin team at therapies@hcahealthcare.co.uk or call +44 (0) 207 390 6553 (option 2). We’ll send you a short self-referral form to complete and return, and once we receive it, we’ll guide you through the next steps and arrange an appointment.
If you already have a referral letter from your NHS GP, you’re welcome to send this to us instead.
If you have any further questions, please feel free to get in touch. Our team is here to make the process as simple and supportive as possible, so you can focus on getting your child the care they need.
Fast access to specialists
Appointments booked within 72 hours
Convenience of care
All our paediatric therapy services under one roof
Multidisciplinary team expertise
We focus our wealth of experience on your child
Paediatric occupational therapy at HCA UK
Conditions we treat
Every child is unique, and so are the challenges they face. We support children with a wide range of developmental, neurological, and physical conditions. Whether your child needs help with movement, coordination, sensory processing, or building everyday skills, we’re here to offer expert, personalised care.
- Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and ADHD
- Brachial plexus injury including OBPP
- Cerebral palsy
- Developmental coordination disorder (DCD)
- Developmental delay
- Down syndrome
- Genetic conditions
- Hand and upper limb injuries
- Learning difficulties
- Childhood stroke
- Neuro-disabilities
- Childhood seizure
- Sensory processing disorders
- Spina bifida
- Traumatic and acquired brain injury
Accessing private healthcare
Self-referral
You don't need to wait for a GP or consultant referral to get access to our therapy services, you can contact us directly.
Get in touch with our admin team at therapies@hcahealthcare.co.uk or call us on +44 (0) 207 390 6553 (option 2). We’ll send you a short self-referral form to complete and return. Once we receive it, we’ll guide you through the next steps and arrange an appointment.
Call +44 (0) 207 390 6553
The process
What to expect
We understand that it can be overwhelming when a child needs specialist care. That’s why we aim to make every step of the journey clear, supportive, and centred on your child’s needs. From the first appointment, assessment and treatment, our team is here to guide and reassure you throughout.
If you have any questions not answered here, feel free to get in touch. We’ll try to help in whatever way we can.
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Initial consultation
From the moment you arrive, our specialist occupational therapists (OTs) work to create a calm, welcoming environment that helps your child feel at ease.
You’ll meet your child’s OT, who will carry out a detailed assessment. We’ll explain everything in a clear and child-friendly way, so both you and your child know what to expect next.
02
During treatment
The treatment plan will be discussed with you and your child prior to booking in a block of treatment. Treatment will be tailored to your child’s needs and will be based on best and evidence-based practice. Treatment sessions may last up to 1 hour, but it depends on your child’s age and their tolerance in sessions. Our OTs will always make an effort to report on your child’s progress after each session.
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After treatment
After a block of treatment your child’s OT will review all progress made with you and ensure you and your child have everything needed. If appropriate we’ll support with home programs to ensure your child continues to progress and improve. We take pride in our relationship with the NHS and are happy to liaise with your child’s NHS team to support a smooth transition back to the community and school to ensure support and therapy input can continue.
Our location
The Portland Hospital
205-209 Great Portland Street W1W 5AH London
Take a tour of The Portland Hospital
Take a whistle-stop tour of The Portland Hospital with Abigail and Hannah as they embark on a treasure hunt that sees them visit the different departments to see exactly what we offer.
Paediatric occupational therapy FAQs
We believe every child deserves highly personalised care, focused on their needs, no matter how complex. Our team of paediatric occupational therapists will work with you and your child to help them develop the practical skills they need to help them, both at home and at school.
We can support you with:
Bimanual therapy
We can help your child improve the use of both hands together through structured, play-based activities, building strength, coordination, and confidence in everyday tasks.
Constraint-induced movement therapy
A way of strengthening your child’s weaker arm or hand by gently encouraging its use through purposeful activities to improve their confidence and independence.
Inpatient therapy
Working closely with our wider team, we provide expert support for children receiving inpatient care, including those in neonatal intensive care, paediatric intensive care, our cardiac units as well as our Neurorehabilitation Unit.
Neonatal follow-ups
We offer specialist follow-up care for babies after their stay in a NICU, helping to monitor your baby’s development to give them the best possible start.
Early intervention occupational therapy
For babies and children with developmental delays, we can support with early intervention to encourage and promote development to help them hit their milestones.
Neuro-rehabilitation occupational therapy
We help children regain and develop everyday skills after neurological injury or illness. We focus on what matters most to them, from dressing and playing, to moving with confidence.
Personalised home treatment plans
Our personalised plans keep your child’s progress moving between sessions. Clear, practical, and tailored to your child’s needs, they’ll help you support their development and recovery with expert guidance at every stage.
Post-operative rehabilitation
We’ll support your child’s recovery after surgery with tailored therapy that helps promote movement and strength, making sure they get back to doing what they love, safely and with confidence.
Postural management services
We’ll help find the right wheelchair or mobility equipment for your child’s needs, ensuring comfort, safety, and independence through expert assessment, fitting, and support.
School skills
From supporting attention and self regulation to developing skills such as planning, sequencing and even handwriting, we aim to make learning more accessible – and enjoyable – by building the practical skills your child needs to feel confident and capable at school.
Sensory integration
At The Portland we offer assessments and treatment blocks for children with diagnosed or suspected sensory processing disorders. We offer sensory integration therapy to support your child’s sensory differences and promote sensory regulation skills to help with engagement in everyday activities.
Splinting
Whether it’s a fracture, a finger sprain, or to help support and maintain joint health and mobility, our OTs can support with custom made splints based on your child’s needs.
Standardised assessments
At The Portland we encourage best practice care and use standardised assessments to support our observations. Working collaboratively with the larger MDT we aim to support your understanding of your child’s needs and address all aspects of their development and health.
Upper limb rehab
If your child has an injury or neurological condition such as cerebral palsy or brachial plexus injury, we’ll work closely with them, and you, to support the development of their upper limb and hand skills.
Our aim is to give children the tools they need to feel more confident and capable, while supporting families every step of the way.
If you can’t find the information you’re looking for here, please don’t worry. Get in touch and one of our team will be happy to help.
Occupational therapy is a truly holistic profession with a focus on supporting a child’s ability to independently engage in their home and school environments, often supporting basic skills such as play, self-care and learning.
Through occupational therapy, children can:
- Develop play skills that promote learning, exploration, imagination and problem solving
- Improve their ability to carry out personal care tasks such as washing, dressing, self-feeding and grooming.
- Develop their fine motor skills to support functional hand use for tasks such as doing up buttons, tying their shoelaces, drawing and writing.
- Learn to self-regulate and manage their frustrations in situations that may impact how they engage with others in a school or home environment.
- Access assessments and provision for specialist equipment such as wheelchairs, activity chairs or specialised adaptive devices to support independent task engagement.
- Improve their gross and fine motor skills to support confident and coordinated body movements so they can play and take part in play, sports and everyday tasks and activities with confidence.
Occupational therapy is offered to children who have difficulty independently participating in daily activities. This can include self-care tasks such as dressing, washing, self-feeding and self-organisation, but also includes skills and activities such as developing play skills and appropriate skills for engagement at school.
OT supports these developmental needs while addressing the underlying cause for difficulties, whether that’s motor planning (a child’s ability to think about, organise, and carry out a task), sensory processing or a neurological condition.
OT supports these developmental needs while addressing the underlying cause for difficulties, whether that’s motor planning (a child’s ability to think about, organise, and carry out a task), sensory processing or a neurological condition.
Your occupational therapist will spend time talking to you and your child about your child’s daily life and routine as well as ask you some information about their medical history to ensure they have a holistic picture. They’ll identify your child’s differences and areas that your child needs some support, but your child’s OT will also help identify your child’s strengths and how these can be used in therapy as well.
We’ll then use a combination of questionnaires, standardised and non-standardised assessments and observations to assess your child’s needs.
Once the assessments have been completed, your occupational therapist will create a personalised treatment plan with you to assist your child in achieving their potential. The plan may include a block of face-to-face therapy sessions, home programs, further investigations or referrals to other members of the therapy MDT.
Your child’s OT may also explore alternative ways of doing things at home or suggest changes that can be made to the home environment, such as using an assistive device. All these options will be carefully discussed with you at the assessment and any follow-up sessions.
As a parent or guardian, you know your child better than anyone else. To get the most out of your child’s assessment, it’s useful if you write down as much as possible about your child, including what they find challenging, as well as any questions and concerns you may have before the appointment. It’s also helpful to list any strategies you’ve already tried and what does or doesn’t help.
Our paediatric occupational therapy team are here to support you as well as your child, providing advice, reassurance and support. They can suggest ways to make daily tasks easier and help your child to achieve goals and take part in activities. They can offer guidance to best help your child at home and recommend any specialised equipment or adaptations.
Our team can also help improve communication between you and your child, for example with learning how to interpret their behaviours and non-verbal cues.
Yes, The Portland Hospital is a private hospital in London that’s dedicated to treating women and children. Our paediatric services at The Portland Hospital include:
Yes, you can get here by underground, bus or taxi and ride services. Please see further details below.
The nearest underground stations are:
Several bus routes stop close to the hospital. The most convenient routes include: 18, 27, 30, 88, 205, 453 and C2.
These stop near Great Portland Street, Harley Street and Portland Place, all of which are within a short walking distance of the hospital.
By taxi or ride services
Taxis and ride-sharing services like Uber or Bolt can drop you off directly outside The Portland Hospital main entrance at 205-209 Great Portland Street, W1W 5AH.
The nearest underground stations are:
- Great Portland Street Station (Circle, Hammersmith & City and Metropolitan Lines) - approx. 5 minutes’ walk
- Regent’s Park Station (Bakerloo Line) – approx. 6 minutes’ walk
- Oxford Circus Station (Central, Victoria and Bakerloo lines) - around 10 minutes' walk
Several bus routes stop close to the hospital. The most convenient routes include: 18, 27, 30, 88, 205, 453 and C2.
These stop near Great Portland Street, Harley Street and Portland Place, all of which are within a short walking distance of the hospital.
By taxi or ride services
Taxis and ride-sharing services like Uber or Bolt can drop you off directly outside The Portland Hospital main entrance at 205-209 Great Portland Street, W1W 5AH.
- Pick-up and drop-off options: Visitors can pick up and drop off patients at the main entrance. No parking is allowed as the driveway is for emergency vehicle access.
- Local parking: There’s no on-site parking and street parking isn’t permitted on single yellow lines between Monday and Saturday, from 8.30am to 6.30pm. However, national and private car parks are available nearby. Please contact the admissions team if you need help to find a local car park near to the hospital.
- Disabled parking: Westminster Council operates a small number of disabled parking bays near the hospital, available to Blue Badge holders for up to four hours. The nearest one is on the corner of Bolsover Street, next to Tesco Express.
At The Portland Hospital, we have open visiting. However, we recommend that visitors leave by 10pm. If your child is staying overnight, this gives both parents and child the chance to settle for the night.
Should you wish to stay overnight with your child, you can. We can provide you with a bed for one parent.
Should you wish to stay overnight with your child, you can. We can provide you with a bed for one parent.
“Above all else, we are committed to the care and improvement of human life”
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