Worried about your child? We'll see you today.

Most paediatric appointments are available within the same week, often within 1–2 days. For acute illness in a child you're worried about, call us on 020 7916 0029 — we'll try to fit you in the same day where possible.

If your child is seriously unwell — breathing difficulty, persistent high fever in a young infant, severe pain, drowsiness/lethargy, suspected meningitis, anaphylaxis — please go to A&E or call 999 instead of waiting for a private appointment. The Royal London paediatric A&E is 5 minutes' walk from us.

Yes — Dr Velitchkova has extensive experience with newborns and young infants. Common reasons parents bring infants include feeding concerns, weight gain, reflux, suspected cow's milk protein allergy, persistent crying, sleep, and skin conditions.

Important: a baby under 3 months with a fever should be assessed in hospital, not in a private outpatient clinic — please take them to A&E or call 111. The risk profile is different at that age.

With your consent, yes. For ongoing conditions (asthma, eczema, allergy management, chronic constipation), writing to the NHS GP enables shared care — you receive specialist recommendations from us, and your GP can take over NHS treatments long-term where appropriate.

For one-off consultations — an acute illness, a "is this normal?" reassurance visit — you may not need or want a letter to the GP. We'll ask at the appointment.

No. The UK childhood immunisation schedule is delivered free through NHS GP practices and is excellent — we don't offer routine childhood vaccinations here. If you have questions about missed vaccinations, we'd refer you back to your NHS practice or to a dedicated travel/private vaccination clinic. For travel vaccinations, several specialist clinics in London (Nomad, MASTA, Fleet Street) are well set up for this.

Yes — we can take blood at the clinic and send to The Doctors Laboratory (TDL), with results usually within 24–72 hours depending on the test. For young children where venepuncture is difficult, we'll discuss with you the best approach — sometimes paediatric phlebotomy at a specialist children's centre is more appropriate. Results are reviewed in a follow-up appointment with a clear explanation.

Yes — clinical assessment, history-taking, examination, and basic investigations are all part of what we do. Where formal allergy testing is needed (skin-prick testing, specific IgE blood tests, food challenges), we refer to dedicated paediatric allergy services — either NHS or private. We coordinate that referral and provide a detailed summary.

For 16- and 17-year-olds, this is normal practice — they can consent to medical treatment in their own right. Under 16, we assess Gillick competence on a case-by-case basis: a competent young person can request confidential treatment under Fraser guidelines, particularly for sensitive issues like sexual health or mental health.

That said, for most under-16s we encourage involving a parent or guardian wherever this is in the young person's best interests. Confidentiality is respected; child safeguarding duties are followed if there are risk-of-harm concerns.

If you book a consultation and Dr Velitchkova concludes that your child needs onward specialist referral rather than treatment here, you still pay for the consultation — but you leave with a detailed assessment, written summary, a clear pathway, and a referral letter that often speeds up onward care considerably.

If you're not sure whether what you need is a fit for our service, call our reception on 020 7916 0029 first — they'll tell you honestly before you book.