Women’s and Children’s Hospital • Palliative Care

The Paediatric Palliative Care Service (PPCS) provides support to families caring for a child with a life-limiting illness. This is tailored to each family’s individual needs to help make decisions about care

The PPCS is a statewide service providing specialist care for children with life-limiting conditions.

The service will not replace the medical teams who care for your child at the hospital. We work with these teams and other health care services outside the hospital.

The service has a team of health care specialists:

Doctor
Nurses
Grief and Loss Coordinator
Social Worker
Art Therapist.

The team is supported by business and administrative personnel.

The After-hours Service is between 4:30pm to 8:30am week days, and 24 hours per day on weekends and public holidays, 365 days per year via hospital switchboard only.

How to access this service

Referrals are accepted from health care professionals across the care spectrum. Families may also self-refer, with subsequent contact made with treating teams.

The criteria for admission to the Paediatric Palliative Care Service require that a child be:

Aged between 0 and 18 years
Diagnosed with a life-limiting illness
Receiving their acute health care services in South Australia.

Information required for referral includes:

Name of child, date of birth, UR number and contact details
Identity of primary carer
Consent for referral from family
Medical details – diagnosis/differential diagnosis, present condition, results of recent medical tests
Medical team and other agencies involved.

Hours

General business: 8.30am – 4.30pm weekdays

24 hour on-call service: after hours contact 8161 7000 (switchboard)

Location

Level 7, Zone E, Samuel Way building

Further information

Frequently asked questions

Communication to support families and health care providers, including those in rural and remote areas
Assessment and management of pain and other symptoms
Education and support to help administer prescribed medications to care for your child at home
Coordination of care at home to link families with services and resources
Information about available respite options
Psychosocial support for child, siblings and other family members
Support for end of life care planning
Care and support during the end stages of a child’s illness
Bereavement care for parents, siblings and extended family
School support, practical resources and equipment

A referral to a palliative care service can be made at any stage during the course of your child’s illness. It is often difficult to predict the progression of many childhood conditions. It is a good idea to think about a palliative care referral early, even at the time of diagnosis when medical treatment is given to treat or cure an illness. A referral to palliative care does not mean you have given up hope. In fact, it allows the best possible support for you and your family.

In many situations, families can choose where they would like care for their child. Most care is provided at home, however, it may be necessary to spend more time in hospital. Our palliative care services can help by coordinating care across locations to ensure families are supported wherever they wish to be. SA and NT do not have paediatric hospice facilities; however, the SA PPCS can support adult hospice services to care for adolescents for end of life care.

If you think paediatric palliative care could be helpful for your child and family, talk to one of your child’s health care team members, or contact the SA PPCS.

The after-hours phone support service can provide an immediate response to help:

With significant changes in your child’s condition
Discuss symptoms and advise on management, including medication and equipment
Liaise with other involved health care teams
When you’re having difficulty caring for your child

Phone the Women’s and Children’s Hospital Switchboard on (08) 8161 7000 and ask to speak with the Palliative Care After-Hours phone support service. You will be asked for your name and phone number to be given to the on-call clinician who will call you back within 10 minutes, but if you don’t hear after 10 minutes please call again.