Why are Paediatric services in NSW networked?
They are networked to ensure high quality clinical care is available as close as possible to home for all children. The focus is a shared approach to service development with common guidelines for care, accompanied by staff training and development. It clearly links each local paediatric unit with one or two of the specialist Childrens’ Hospitals in NSW. The quality of care locally will be improved by the support available from the Childrens’ Hospitals, such as: • specialist clinical outreach services • shared treatment protocols and guidelines • staff rotation between services • professional training and development opportunities • support in times of peak demand • smoother transfer and referral of patients between services The Guidelines for Networking of paediatric services in NSW (pdf 282K) were prepared by the Statewide Services Development Branch of NSW Health under the guidance of the Paediatric Services Steering Committee and details the role of the three networks. This Committ
