About the National Cleft Surgical Service
Royal Hospital for Children for Patients, Carers & Visitors
The National Cleft Surgical Service for Scotland is hosted within NHS GG&C. The service provides surgical, psychology and cleft specialist nursing input for the management of children with Cleft Lip and/or Palate. Our aim is to provide a lifelong, fair and equitable service to all people in Scotland born with a cleft lip and/or cleft palate or velopharyngeal insufficiency (VPI). Multidisciplinary team working is encouraged and delivered through our local multidisciplinary clinics throughout Scotland.
Cleft lip/palate is most common craniofacial condition and represents 1:700 live births. The number of births within Scotland fluctuates but, on average, around 75 babies are born with a cleft lip and/or palate in Scotland every year.
The entry points to the NCSSS are where:
- A sonography scan detects the presence of a cleft lip antenatally
- A baby is born with a cleft lip and/or cleft palate
- VPI is detected during childhood
- A patient with any of the above conditions moves to Scotland and wishes to access the service
- An adult with any of the above conditions wishes to seek consultation for assessment or discussion relating to further treatment.
Within the service, patients follow well defined pathways constructed in conjunction with the Cleft Care Scotland Managed Clinical Network.
