HANDi Paediatrics

HANDi has been developed by the paediatric team at Musgrove Park Hospital to provide expert support to parents/carers and medical professionals looking after children with the most common childhood illnesses:

- Diarrhoea (gastroenteritis)
- Chesty child (wheeze and asthma)
- Chesty baby (bronchiolitis)
- High temperature
- Abdominal pain
- Common newborn problems

Parent/carer guidance includes illness specific home assessment guidelines, signposting to the appropriate local healthcare setting, and illness information. Each of the 6 most common childhood illnesses has a Home Care Plan to help parents/carers provide the best support for their child.

Assessment guidelines are provided for healthcare professionals in the community and in the hospital environment. Guidelines have been developed using a traffic light system that guides professionals to the most appropriate healthcare advice, support or referral for the individual child. These integrated guidelines should help parents/carers feel that they are getting consistent advice wherever and whenever their child is seen.

Both parents/carers and healthcare professionals are encouraged to look at each of the three pathways for each of the 6 most common conditions.