2026 Funding Update

For 2026, the following will be funded in the Loddon Mallee region:

Early Support for Kids in Bendigo – a new Allied Health-led triage service and post-diagnosis navigator will help children with learning and behavioural challenges get the right assessments and therapy sooner, and closer to home. Families will also get support navigating healthcare and NDIS services.

Helping Families Navigate Care in Castlemaine (Dhelkaya Health)– expansion of the local paediatric clinic to include a care coordinator and a child psychologist. This will make it easier for families to organise appointments, get timely assessments, and access mental health support close to home.

Family-Friendly Spaces at Echuca – maternity rooms will get eight chairs that convert to beds so partners can stay overnight, and a courtyard will be transformed into a safe, child-friendly play space for families visiting the hospital.

Bringing Paediatric Care Closer in Mildura – a new Outreach Hub will bring paediatricians, allied health, and family support services together in one location, making it easier for children and families, especially those from Indigenous, rural or disadvantaged communities, to access care locally.

Telehealth and Multidisciplinary Paediatric Services in Swan Hill – continued support for a paediatric nurse-led clinic offering telehealth appointments with specialist paediatricians, plus a lead clinician coordinating care for at-risk and premature infants. Families get timely, joined-up care without always needing to travel far.

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Building on the funding from 2025

The Loddon Mallee Health Network provides a wide range of healthcare services to support the health and wellbeing of children and families across the region. With around 80,000 residents under the age of 18, the network addresses a diverse set of health needs through paediatric medical and surgical clinics, rehabilitation programs, and early childhood services such as kindergarten and childcare programs.

• A coordinated multidisciplinary approach for babies, children & adolescents with development delays and features of neurodiversity – Innovative and tailored models of care will be implemented across these five health services, covering assessment, triaging, and management of care for children and young people. These models will also offer early intervention in local, accessible settings – helping children and their families avoid the need for long-distance travel to metropolitan areas of critical care. This project will also support the development and enhancement of therapeutic spaces across the region, creating welcoming, collaborative environments that prioritise the wellbeing of children, young people and their families.
• Dhelkaya Health – will pilot a localised project aimed at strengthening paediatric assessment, triage, and early intervention services for the Castlemaine community and surrounding areas. 
• Bendigo Health – will implement a virtual triaging and intake model designed to ensure that children with developmental concerns are connected to the right services in a timely and efficient manner. This will be based on the RCH’s successful Stepped Care model but tailored to meet the specific needs and demands of the Bendigo region.
• Swan Hill District Health – will establish a Paediatric Nurse-led clinic with wrap-around services, including a telehealth consultations service with local paediatricians, to ensure a holistic approach to care. This will provide support and expertise to both local and remote children and their families in the Swan Hill region who require specialist paediatric care, without the significant strain of travel. The Swan Hill district will also benefit from an enhanced care pathway for at-risk infants, particularly those born prematurely, through a dedicated Clinical Lead resource for the Allied Health Prematurity Clinic. This role will facilitate early engagement with families, ensuring that at-risk infants are promptly connected with the appropriate care, clinicians, and support throughout the critical early years of life. 
• Mildura Base Public Hospital – will implement an innovative outreach hub that will bring together will serve as a central point and ‘one-stop-shop’ for a wide range of services, ensuring that children, young people, and their families in the Mildura area can receive holistic care in one convenient location. This model will focus on the diverse needs of families, especially those from vulnerable or disadvantaged backgrounds.
• Echuca Regional Health – will improve its neonatal services, providing high-quality, locally accessible neonatal care closer to home. This will see the purchase of specialised equipment, including three phototherapy units to treat jaundice in newborns, three vital signs monitors to support better newborn care, and one resuscitaire to assist with newborn resuscitation. This upgrade will be of particular importance for First Nations women and families, as it facilitates the ability to birth on country and fosters a more culturally appropriate and supportive birthing experience for these communities. 

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Building on the funding from 2024

Bendigo Health is a leading regional healthcare service, providing exceptional care to the Loddon Mallee region – an area that covers a quarter of the size of Victoria. The hospital was also be able to provide additional services for the increasing number of paediatric outpatients and admissions.

• Paediatric rehabilitation playspace – a new outdoor rehabilitation playspace giving sick children, young people and their families a space that fosters connection, learning and healing. The calming effects of this nature-based playground are vital for more than 100 patients treated by the hospital’s rehabilitation team at any one time.
• Training and education – Funded two vital positions across the areas of allied health and nursing and provided senior hospital staff with realistic simulation training to help boost retention, attract new staff and ensure paediatric excellence continues to be delivered across the region.
  

“These important funds will significantly enhance Bendigo Health’s paediatric care, with the appointment of two paediatric nurse educators in allied health and nursing. Additionally, we’ve upskilled our staff through paediatric simulation programs and patient assessment workshops.

In 2024, thanks to the support of the Good Friday Appeal, we reached our fundraising goal for the all-abilities paediatric play space. We look forward to being able to utilise this play space soon,”

Eileen Hannagan, Bendigo Health Chief Executive Officer.