Children's Services
Children's Psychological Medicine supports children with acute and chronic physical health problems.
We run outpatient clinics and support children on the wards to help children and their families with associated psychological needs.
We work closely with all the medical and surgical specialties at the hospitals.
For example, we help children and their families to:
- adjust to physical illness and treatment
- manage anxiety and distress associated with their health needs
- get the best out of their treatment.
We provide specialist services in:
- pain management
- persistent physical symptoms
- autistic spectrum disorders and related complex problems in those aged under five years
- problems associated with childhood cancers, cystic fibrosis, diabetes, endocrine conditions and many other physical health conditions.
We provide specialist input for health-related concerns for sleeping, toileting, and feeding where there is a significant impact to the child's development and local services (accessed via your GP) have not been able to resolve the issue.
All team members are trained to assess and manage the range of clinical presentations; however, the specialties listed below are areas some individuals more commonly work in.
In addition to substantive psychiatrists and psychologists, we regularly have locum clinicians, visiting specialists and trainees and assistant psychologists working as part of our team.
We also have a team of over 20 play specialists who work predominantly with inpatients, helping them better manage their conditions and the procedures they are undergoing.
Many children with neurological problems are seen by paediatric neuropsychologists based in the Russell Cairns Unit. Children treated by the cleft lip and palate or craniofacial services are also seen in the Russell Cairns Unit.
If you are a sixth form or undergraduate student and would like to learn about our service, you can attend our annual information day. Please send an email to CPM@ouh.nhs.uk with the subject line 'Information Day'. Unfortunately, we are not able to offer work experience placements outside of this.
For more information on Children's Services, please see Children's Services:
Staff
- Dr Karen Steinhardt
Consultant Clinical Psychologist and Lead for Children's Psychological Medicine
- Dr Emily Betts
Senior Clinical Psychologist, Teenagers and Young Adults with Cancer
- Dr Jacinta Cordwell*
Senior Clinical Psychologist, Neonatal and Child Development
- Dr Jenny Cropper
Principal Clinical Psychologist, General Paediatrics and Diabetes (Wexham Park); Diabetes (MK); General Paediatrics RAs (JR)
- Dr Annabel David
Senior Clinical Psychologist, Gastroenterology
- Dr Emma Dunford
Senior Clinical Psychologist, Neuro Rehab (NOC), Pain Clinic (NOC), General Paediatrics (JR)
- Dr Anna Elderton
Senior Clinical Psychologist, Cystic Fibrosis, General Paediatrics
- Dr Mina Fazel
Consultant in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, General Paediatrics and specialties
- Dr Dimitri Gavriloff
Clinical Psychologist, Sleep Clinic
- Dr Kate Green
Senior Clinical Psychologist, Rheumatology (NOC), Diabetes (JR), General Paediatrics (JR)
- Dr Helen Griffiths
Principal Clinical Psychologist, Haematology/Oncology, General Paediatrics
- Dr Camilla Holden
Clinical Psychologist, Diabetes, General Paediatrics (JR and Horton)
- Dr Kathryn Hyde
Clinical Psychologist, Neonates
- Dr Konrad Jacobs
Consultant Clinical Psychologist, Lead for Children's Rehabilitation, including the Oxford Centre for Children and Young People in Pain (JR and NOC)
- Dr Judith Kalthoff
Senior Clinical Psychologist, Paediatric Critical Care and Helen and Douglas House
- Dr Juliet Kennedy*
Senior Clinical Psychologist, Spinal Surgery Service (NOC), Oncology (Wexham Park)
- Dr Annukka Lehtonen
Clinical Psychologist, Orthopaedics (NOC), General Paediatrics (Wexham Park)
- Dr Ian McCubbin
Senior Clinical Psychologist, HIV, Lifespan service (Churchill), Neuromuscular, Visual Impairment
- Dr Joanna Mann
Clinical Psychologist, General Paediatrics
- Dr Laura Mitchell
Clinical Psychologist, General Paediatrics, Haematology, Oncology, Haemophilia
- Dr Mary Owen*
Senior Clinical Psychologist, Diabetes
- Dr Lara Payne
Clinical Psychologist, General Paediatrics and Oncology (JR and Wexham Park)
- Dr Isabel Paz
Consultant in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, General Paediatrics and all specialties
- Ms Charlotte Peters
Assistant Psychologist
- Dr Rebecca Robinson
Principal Clinical Psychologist, Child Development, Cochlear Implant and General Paediatrics
- Ms Angela Shanly
Consultant Clinical Psychologist and Family Therapist, General Paediatrics
- Ms Rabeeah Sohail
Honorary Assistant Psychologist
- Ms Erica Watson
Play Specialist lead
- Dr Guinevere Webster
Clinical Psychologist, Medical Needs InReach Project
(*Extended leave)
Find us and contact us
We are based principally in the Children's Hospital, on the John Radcliffe Hospital site.
- Children's Psychological Medicine
LG1, Children's Hospital, Oxford
Headley Way
Headington
Oxford OX3 9DU
- Tel: 01865 234187
Code of conduct
Clinicians in the department work according to the standards laid down by the Royal College of Psychiatrists and the British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies (BABCP).
Tell us what you think
The Children's Psychological Medicine Service is committed to providing the very highest standards of care. If you would like to make a comment, or have a concern about the service you have received, please contact us.
Tell us what you think
Online resources
There are many online resources available. These are some that families have told us are useful.