Paediatric Palliative Care Service

Our Mission: To serve all children, who have life limiting illnesses, and their families

The Paediatric Palliative Care Service undertakes

• the provision of clinical and consultative service
• coordination of general practitioners and health care agencies in the community
• support for staff in hospital medical units, metropolitan and regional health service centres
• coordination of services and case management
• the provision of education in the specialty of paediatric palliative care.

The service has a commitment to best practice and ongoing research.

The service aims to achieve

• early referral for all children with life-limiting disease
• provision of information for families - English and non-English speaking
• equity of service across metropolitan and regional South Australia and the Northern Territory
• the establishment of nurse practitioner roles within the service
• close liaison with all medical teams within the WCH.

How to access the service

Referrals

Referrals are accepted from health care professionals across the care spectrum.  Families may also access the service without a referral.

Presently the criteria for admission to the Palliative Care Service requires that a child be

• aged between 0 and 18 years
• diagnosed with a life-limiting illness
• receiving their primary health service in South Australia or Northern Territory.

Information required for referral includes

• Name of child, date of birth, UR number and contact details
• Identity of primary carer
• Consent for referral details
• Medical details - diagnosis, differential diagnosis, present condidtion, results of recent medical tests
• Medical team and other agencies involved.

The referral may be posted, faxed or e-mailed to the service. Referrals are also taken by phone.

Allocation of referrals

In line with the Generational Health Review which promotes the establishment of services in northern and southern regions, the Paediatric Palliative Care Unit will allocate its primary care workload in northern/rural and southern regions. Paediatric palliative care nurses develop liaisons and professional relationships with health care providers in the regions.

Admission to the service

All children referred to the service are assessed by a paediatric palliative care nurse. If an appropriate admission they will be accepted to receive services.

Nurses aim visit all children who live in rural and remote regions of the State and Territory in their home. In this way the palliative care team become known by the local service providers.

Information for Families

We recommend that you visit the palliative care pages of the website for the Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne.

We also recommend: Palliative Care for Children with Cancer- a Guide for Parents  Royal Children's Hospital, Brisbane, 2002
(Copies of this publication can be obtained from the Haematology/Oncology Unit at the RCH Brisbane  phone(07) 3636 1357.

Resources/Publications

WCH Palliative Care After Hours Service

National Association for Loss and Grief

Palliative Care Australia

SIDS and Kids

Hours

General Business 8am - 5pm weekdays

24 hour on call service, after hours contact 8161 7000 pager 5719

Contact details

Nurse Practitioner
Sara Fleming
Ph (08) 8161 7994 or To page call (08) 8161 7000 then request pager number 4386
Email sara.fleming@health.sa.gov.au

Clinical Practice Consultant
Julie Duffield
Ph (08) 8161 7994 or To page call (08) 8161 7000 then request pager number 5560
Email julie.duffield@health.sa.gov.au

Clinical Practice Consultant
Carina Boehm
Ph (08) 8161 7994 or To page call (08) 8161 7000 then request pager number 5849
Email carina.boehm@health.sa.gov.au

Location

7th Floor Samuel Way Building

Mailing address

Paediatric Palliative Care Service
Women's and Children's Hospital
72 King William Road
North Adelaide
South Australia 5006

Phone/fax/email

Phone (08) 8161 7994

Fax (08) 8161 6631

Email cywhs.pallcare@health.sa.gov.au

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