In recent years, national policy developments including the National Access Policy (2019), Assessment of Need SOP (2023), and Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) Operational Guidelines (2025) have significantly increased demand and complexity within Primary Care Children’s Services. Primary Care services are now supporting a growing cohort of children and young people with neurodevelopmental conditions (including those requiring autism assessment), mild‑to‑moderate mental health needs below specialist mental health thresholds, and co‑occurring developmental, behavioural, and social difficulties who require coordinated multidisciplinary and trauma‑informed responses.There is currently a significant gap in service provision for these children and young people, who often do not meet criteria for Children’s Disability Network Teams (CDNT) or Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) yet require a structured multidisciplinary response. This has led to increasing waiting times and unmet need, including a growing demand for autism assessments within Primary Care.To address this, the service is evolving towards the development of Primary Care Paediatric Network Teams, in line with the National Paediatric Model of Care (2016). Four multidisciplinary teams will be established with each team aligned to two Community Healthcare Networks and provide:Multidisciplinary assessment and participation in diagnostic pathways including but not limited to autism assessmentCo‑ordinated intervention and care planning for children and young people with non‑complex disabilities and developmental needs who require a multidisciplinary responsePost‑diagnostic supports, therapeutic programmes and education groups for children, young people and their familiesIntegrated working with CDNTs, CAMHS and other services through defined care pathways and shared care arrangementsA clear “primary care network team” model, ensuring that every child and young person requiring a multidisciplinary response has an identified service provider.The overall aim of the service is to ensure there is timely access to safe, effective and coordinated care for all children and young people in HSE Mid West, by aligning Primary Care Paediatric Network Teams for children and young people who require a coordinated multidisciplinary response within Primary Care to Primary Care Teams, CDNT and CAMHS teams while maintaining capacity within Primary Care to deliver universal and early intervention services across the population.
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