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A service intended to keep children out of hospital emergency wards is expected to be available to Central Coast families before the end of 2023.
Premier Chris Minns has announced the expansion of the innovative virtualKIDS Urgent Care Service across NSW, ensuring that NSW families will have access to the right care, when they need it most.
The virtualKIDS service utilises modern technologies, such as video conferencing and telehealth to connect families with clinical nurses, ensuring that children are connected to the best care depending on the child’s needs, whether this be a trip to the emergency department, a consultation with a paediatrician or a visit to the local GP.
The program is designed to keep children out of emergency departments and in the safety of their homes, while providing the best care pathway available.
The program was introduced as a pilot by the previous government.
Throughout the pilot program, which began in August 2021, two out of three children were able to receive the care needed without visiting an emergency department.
According to the Minns Government, this service will therefore also reduce pressure on overstretched hospital system and health care staff, reducing family’s reliance on emergency departments.
The service is currently accessible in three local health districts with specialist paediatric hospitals but will be expanded to all of NSW before the end of the year.
With the Bureau of Health Information (BHI) revealing the Central Coast is the second worse Local Health District in NSW for emergency treatment wait times, this program will work to ensure children seeking treatment are kept out of the long emergency waits while still receiving primary healthcare services from their homes.
“Urgent Care of children across the Central Coast is a high priority for the Minns Government,” said Member for Wyong, Minister for the Central Coast, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Treaty, Minister for Gaming and Racing, Minister for Veterans, and Minister for Medical Research, David Harris.
“We know that our local emergency departments are stretched to the limit, and this is affecting the health of our community and the heavy workload of our nurses and health workers,” Mr Harris said.
“VirtualKIDS will provide families with the care they need and ease the pressure our local emergency rooms.”
The VirtualKIDS Urgent Care Service is currently accessible via HealthDirect for families within three local health districts with specialist paediatric hospitals – South Eastern Sydney, Western Sydney and Hunter New England Local Health Districts– but is being expanded to all of NSW before the end of the year.
Minister for Health Ryan Park said the statewide rollout of the urgent care service will build on the success of the virtualKIDS pilot program, established by Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network (SCHN) to care for children virtually during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The virtualKIDS program has been running as a pilot since August 2021 and works really well. The Urgent Care Service has been part of the program since December 2022, with two out of three kids using the service receiving the care they needed without having to go to an emergency department,” Mr Park said.
“This has signficant benefits not just for families, who have reduced travel, wait times for care and hospital visits, but also for the frontline healthcare workers in our busy emergency departments.”
Mr Park said the expansion of the service statewide will also see it provide specialist paediatric advice to clinicians in rural and regional hospitals, and to paramedics in non-emergency situations.
Dr Joanne Ging, Director of Clinical Operations at SCHN, said the virtualKIDS Urgent Care Service pilot has been very well received by patients and their families.
“The service has helped transform the care we are able to provide to our children and families by giving them an avenue to access trusted support from nurses or paediatricians or by primary care services from the comfort of their own homes,” Dr Ging said.
To date, NSW Health has invested over $4 million to set up, staff and operate the virtualKIDS Urgent Care Service pilot. The pilot was initiated by NSW Health and led in partnership with Healthdirect, SCHN and Hunter New England Kids Health.
Member for Swansea and Minister for Police and Counter Terrorism, Yasmin Catley added: “I am proud to be part of the Minns Labor Government that has expanded the virtualKIDS program, so that families right across the state, including here on the Central Coast will now be able to access this life changing service.
“Kids will be comforted that they can stay in their own homes whilst receiving the care they need. The strain on our Emergency Departments will also be alleviated. This is a great step towards repairing our health system.”
Member for The Entrance and Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasurer, David Mehan, said: “This is a great way to ensure that Central Coast families have access to the right clinical pathway for their needs while helping to relieve pressure on our hospital’s emergency departments.”
Finally, according to Member for Gosford, Parliamentary Secretary for Families and Communities and Parliamentary Secretary for Disability Inclusion, Liesl Tesch: “Families across the Central Coast in need of urgent medical care are not able to access the support they need, when they need it.
“Our hospital systems are in desperate need of support and this program will greatly reduce the burden on our health care staff.
“Any pressure that we can take off our local families in their most vulnerable times is critical.”
