Canberra families will benefit from enhanced paediatric health services in both hospital and community settings, thanks to new funding in the 2024-25 ACT Budget. This investment aims to expand paediatric inpatient care and community-based services.
Eight new paediatric inpatient beds will be funded at Canberra Hospital, ensuring that Canberra Health Services can continue to provide specialist care for unwell children and young people. Additionally, a new paediatric critical care team will be established at Canberra Hospital.
This team will offer leadership and specialized skills in paediatric critical care, improving treatment and care for young patients. They will also enhance coordination, support, and upskilling of existing staff in this critical area.
Additional resources will be allocated to expand multidisciplinary rehabilitation services for children with complex and chronic conditions. This will involve developing a sustainable and integrated model of care, shared between local and interstate hospitals. Furthermore, funding will support critically unwell newborns by adding more cots to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and Special Care Nursery at Canberra Hospital.
A new location for community-based paediatric services will be established, making it easier for families with children who have developmental delays or specific health conditions to access the necessary services outside of a hospital setting.
These initiatives are part of the ACT Government’s broader Child and Adolescent Clinical Services Plan 2023-2030, and they complement the opening of dedicated paediatric critical care spaces in Canberra Hospital’s new Critical Services Building.
This budget builds on previous investments in paediatric services and the expansion of the Centenary Hospital for Women and Children, aiming to provide comprehensive and accessible healthcare for children and young people in Canberra.
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