Calling Mariamma - need some advice please re NHS choose and book

[dummysguidetoSA]

Hi Mariamma, I have namechanged for this, but have had some good advice from you before. I have a specific query and was wondering if you were able to help.

If we are to relocate, can we still continue to see the existing consultants in the old place or do we have to change consultants to the new place?

The background is this, DS1 & 2 are currently under the care of a numiber of health care professionals at a place where we used to live up until couple of months ago. we still own the house at the old place and have not informed anybody that we have left and have carried on using their services. so far we have travelled to any appointments we have had. we might have to inform the authorities that we have moved in order to apply for a statement for DS1 but we would like to continue with the consultants at the old place as we know them well and they have been very helpful whereas if we are to change then we have no idea what kind of paed we are going to end up with.
TIA for your help.

Blimey! Know nothing about choose and book, other than it completely messed up trying to arrange my own hearing test. Community paediatricians, CAMHS, OT and SLT are amazingly area-specific though. Complete postcode lottery and it's almost totally impossible to see even the next-door areas lot (and that's if they're all part of the same NHS trust... go figure).

For a general or specialist paediatrician at a regular hospital, then (usually) the choice of provider stuff kicks in, and you can stick with someone who's geographically unsuitable but otherwise a good fit. I presume the goverment doesn't think people with disabilities deserve a choice with their NHS services, unlike the worried well who obviously need pandering to.

I am sure of this, btw, as made enquiries because the next door health area has both sensory OT and dyspraxia physio, whereas we have zilch. Their camhs is more ASD friendly as well.

Thanks Mariamma I did speak to my local surgery about this and they said that we can choose and book, but considering the amount of things they have got it wrong over the years, I am taking anything they say with a big pinch of salt.