Sunday, 28 January 2024

The NSW Government’s free virtualKIDS Urgent Care Service is now available to all children and families across the state, and has already helped almost 1,000 families since expanding late last month.

Families from across NSW are now able to access virtualKIDS via referral from healthdirect on 1800 022 222.
Within a month of being elected last year, the NSW Labor Government committed to a statewide rollout – to help more families access the right care, at the right time, and in the right place.

virtualKIDS uses video conferencing technology to connect families with a clinical nurse to determine the best care pathway based on each child’s needs.

This may be visiting an emergency department, a consultation with a virtualKIDS expert paediatrician, a trip to the GP, or recovering at home with guidance for the family.

Around two in three kids referred to the Urgent Care Service avoid needing to step foot in an emergency department.

The NSW Government’s statewide rollout helps parents and kids avoid unnecessary trips to hospital and potentially long waits to be seen, especially if after-hours.

It also puts downward pressure on our emergency departments, which helps seriously ill children and adults to be seen sooner.

There is no cost to parents or carers if their child has a Medicare card – it is just like a visit to a hospital emergency department.

The successful virtualKIDS pilot began in August 2021 during the height of the pandemic and saw more than 20,000 COVID-positive children receive specialist care in the comfort of their own home.

Until this expansion, the Urgent Care Service was only for families within three local health districts that were home to specialist paediatric hospitals – South Eastern Sydney, Western Sydney and Hunter New England Local Health Districts.

The service continues to be delivered by the Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network (SCHN) and Hunter New England Local Health District (HNELHD) in partnership with healthdirect.

Since accepting calls from across NSW late last month, almost 1000 children and their families have benefitted.

The service is expected to continue supporting at least 500 children and their families each month.
Parents and children calling healthdirect are assessed and, if appropriate, connected to the virtualKIDS service, where a clinical nurse consultant will review the child’s symptoms and medical history to determine the best course of action.

virtualKIDS Urgent Care Service is for children up to 16 with non-life-threatening health concerns.
Parents and carers should call Triple Zero (000) for an ambulance or go to a hospital emergency department immediately if they have a life-threatening emergency.

NSW Premier Chris Minns said:

“Our Government has expanded the virtualKIDS Urgent Care Service to help families across NSW.
“This program is free and can help you and your child avoid a stressful trip to an emergency department.

“It allows families to be seen faster while reducing pressure on already stretched emergency departments and our frontline healthcare workers.

“The NSW Government is working hard to rebuild our health system and ease wait times, and urgent care teams are part of that.

“If you’re thinking about taking your child to emergency as a precaution, and it’s not life-threatening, just call healthdirect first and ask for a referral to virtualKIDS.”

Minister for Health Ryan Park said:

“The expansion of the virtualKIDS Urgent Care Service statewide will also see it provide specialist paediatric advice to clinicians in rural and regional hospitals, and to paramedics in non-emergency situations.

“The expansion of virtualKIDS forms part of the NSW Government's commitment to deliver 25 Urgent Care Services in NSW by mid-2025.”

Dr Joanne Ging, Director of Clinical Operations at Sydney Children Hospitals Network said:

“The service has been well received by patients and their families, with more than two thirds of children accessing the service receiving the care they needed without requiring an emergency department visit.

“Commenced as a pilot in December 2022 across three local health districts (LHDs), the service has since benefited almost 3,700 patients, 85 per cent of whom are under five years of age, with eight per cent identifying as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander.”

Dr Paul Craven, Executive Director of Children, Young People and Families at Hunter New England Local Health District said:

“The service has significantly enhanced access to timely urgent care for children and their families, offering them a channel to receive reliable support from nurses or paediatricians, as well as primary care services, all from the convenience of their homes.”