A nation-leading program is giving sick children and their families in NSW a new option for care, allowing some children who would previously have been admitted to hospital short stay units to be safely managed at home.
This Virtual Care Awareness Week, the Minns Government is shining a light on the success of virtual care programs in NSW.
More than 100 paediatric patients have been admitted to the virtualKIDS Emergency Department (ED) Short Stay Unit since the trial began in March 2024, with 80 per cent recovering in the comfort of their own home.
The program developed in collaboration with the EDs and virtualKIDS at Sydney Children's Hospitals Network has been proven so successful, it has now been awarded a $500,000 funding boost to expand services as part of the Translational Research Grants Scheme (TRGS).
TRGS funding will allow care provided through virtualKIDS ED Short Stay Unit to include state of the art home monitoring devices.
Suitable patients will be sent home with wearable devices which enable clinicians to remotely monitor vital signs such as oxygen levels and heart rate, enhancing the accuracy and effectiveness of virtual healthcare.
This will mean children with respiratory illnesses can avoid a hospital admission, while receiving ongoing care at home. The roll out will be staged and is expected to be underway by December.
The model is also being assessed for statewide expansion, with a potential roll out to regional partners in Dubbo.
The Minns Labor Government's 2024-25 NSW Budget delivered a half a billion-dollar investment to relieve pressure on EDs, by creating more pathways to care outside the hospital, as well as improving patient flow inside the hospital.
Across the state, virtual care programs are providing much-needed relief to busy emergency departments while ensuring people receive quality care when they need it.
Families can access virtual care services by first phoning healthdirect, where you will speak to a registered nurse, who will assess what pathway is most appropriate.
healthdirect helps people access the right care - whether it's advice on how to look after yourself at home, finding a nearby GP, or being connected to a doctor, urgent care service or other healthcare provider online.
Around 178 callers per day avoided unnecessary trips to the ED and were referred to an alternative health care provider during the last financial year.
This is a 42 per cent increase compared to the previous 12 months.
This helps to reduce pressure on NSW public hospitals while ensuring patients receive timely care through more appropriate care pathways.
The community is reminded to use the healthdirect service for non-life-threatening conditions. If you or someone you are with is experiencing a medical emergency, please continue to call Triple Zero (000) immediately.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Health Ryan Park:
"We are relieving pressure on our hospitals and emergency departments by investing in alternative care pathways.
"The virtualKIDS ED Short Stay Unit has already helped more than 100 children and their families avoid an extended stay in hospital while receiving expert medical care from home, for free.
"This research funding will help expand the already successful service, so we can continue to improve access to health care for everyone in NSW.
"More pathways to care outside of the hospital; more staff; more hospitals; lower wait times - it's as simple as that."
Quotes attributable to Minister for Medical Research David Harris:
"Programs like this innovative virtual short stay unit are a great example of how medical research can be translated into practical programs that have real positive outcomes for patients.
"It is particularly pleasing that this program is enabling sick children to receive state-of-the art care they need in the comfort of home with their family.
"The Translational Research Grants Scheme is an important part of our efforts to strengthen research capacity to ultimately improve the delivery of our health services."
Quotes attributable to Sydney Children's Hospitals Network Director of Research Adj A/Professor Paula Bray:
"This innovative program allows us to personalise care to eligible families, improving health outcomes and responding to the state's evolving paediatric healthcare needs.
"It means families can access care that's not only tailored to their needs but also backed by the latest scientific evidence."
Additional Information
The virtualKIDS ED Short Stay Unit is one of 10 recipients of the latest round of TRGS, which awarded $5 million to research teams across NSW Health, to further projects that will translate into better outcomes for patients.
The grants were awarded following a competitive application process involving an independent expert review panel, and projects will be carried out over the next two and a half years.
The other recipients of round 8 of TRGS also include:
- South Western Sydney LHD - Early Talk for Toddlers: Comparing the Dynamic Early Communication Intervention (DECI) model of care to standard care.
- Mid North Coast LHD- Expanding a model of care to transfer clients in Opioid Dependence Treatment from hospitals to rural GPs.
- NSW Health Pathology- Using specialised genetic testing to better identify microbes and improve antibiotic treatment for patients with weakened immune systems.
- St Vincent's Health Network - Telehealth-delivered step-down for alcohol and other drug withdrawal.
- Western NSW LHD- Enabling and evaluating eCARE: developing a virtual diabetes model for rural- metropolitan collaboration.
- Sydney LHD- Implementing an accessible self- management program to improve quality of life in people living with seizures.
- Sydney Children's Hospitals Network - Providing Enhanced Access to Child Health Services across NSW (PEACH NSW) - addressing equity in health access and outcomes for children and young people from priority populations.
- Hunter New England LHD - Improving emergency care access for rural communities, examining the effectiveness of a Rural Emergency Department Nurse Practitioner Model of Care.
- Illawarra Shoalhaven LHD - The RESPOND study: Looking at how medical teams respond to emergencies in Emergency Departments.
More information on the Translational Research Grants Scheme is available at Translational Research Grants Scheme
