Independent review into paediatric services across the state is needed

AMA (NSW) President, Dr Kean-Seng Lim, is calling for an independent review into where and how paediatric services are provided in NSW.

“It has been ten years since the last major review of paediatric services in NSW.

“In the past decade, we have seen a continuation of high-levelcare provided by both of our Children’s Hospitals and hospitals and doctors across NSW.

“While there is currently significant discussion about the provision of paediatric cardiac services, there are many wider issues about the delivery of paediatric care in NSW –particularly its wider availability.

“The Children’s Hospitals do excellent, highly specialised work –children are not miniature adults when it comes to medicine and they need to be treated differently.

“Concentrating that kind of specialist care at the Children’s Hospitals is a good idea for this reason, similar to burns care at Concord.

“We need to find the best balance between availability throughout the state, so kids can be treated close to home when possible, and creating top flight centres ofpaediatric care, for the times when they can’t.

“A significant amount of care is also provided outside the hospital sector, particularly by general practice.

“A review should ensure that there is strong integration between the hospital and out of hospitalsector.

“NSW should also be planning to ensure a commitment to high quality paediatric research.

“The best way to achieve this is for an independent review to be held into the delivery of paediatric care throughout NSW.

“This is something identified in the Garling Report more than a decade ago but this is an issue that still needs to be resolved,” Dr Lim said.

Media contact: Lachlan Jones 0419 402 955