2026 Funding Update

For 2026, the following will be funded in the Gippsland region:

Strengthening Neonatal Skills in Sale – Central Gippsland Health Service will enhance neonatal care by providing hands-on training and simulation for paediatricians. Staff will complete neonatal resuscitation courses, supported by online modules, and practice with a neonatal intubation mannequin.

Regional Eating Disorder Clinic – a new multidisciplinary eating disorder clinic will be established at Central Gippsland Health Service. Bringing together paediatricians, dietitians, social workers, and physiotherapists, the clinic will provide children and adolescents with timely, coordinated care. It will also support training for clinicians to identify and manage eating disorders earlier.

Paediatric Telehealth for Emergencies – a dedicated telehealth station, including the ability to do video consultations, at Sale hospital – providing children with real-time access to specialist paediatric advice during emergencies.

Enhanced Telehealth Access Across Gippsland – new mobile video consultation equipment to make telehealth more interactive and family-friendly.

Culturally Safe Resources for Aboriginal Families – Gippsland Southern Health Service will co-design a suite of culturally appropriate resources for Aboriginal children and families. These tools, ranging from storybooks to digital yarning tools, will help improve cultural safety, build trust, and encourage earlier engagement with health services.

Paediatric ENT Surgery Improvements in Latrobe – an ENT microscope to increase access to ear, nose, and throat procedures for children, including making surgery more efficient and improving access to care closer to home.

Gippsland Paediatric Partnership Program – West Gippsland Healthcare Group will lead the Gippsland Paediatric Partnership Program, connecting regional health services with tertiary hospitals in Melbourne. The program will support standardised, high-quality care, provide mentoring and training for clinicians, and improve the management of acutely unwell children across the region.

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Building on the funding from 2025

In 2025, the Good Friday Appeal funding provided to the Gippsland region was spread across seven health services. Health services across Gippsland received funding for essential training and new equipment that will enable babies, children and young people to receive high-quality care closer to home.

• Bairnsdale Regional Health Service (BRHS) – upgrade its maternity and newborn care to better support babies needing urgent medical attention. New critical emergency equipment this funding will support includes a modern transport incubator to replace outdated equipment, and neonatal high flow therapy systems to help babies under 3kg breathe more easily with humidified oxygen. A new portable monitoring unit will also allow staff to closely track a baby’s vital signs during emergency resuscitation and transfer.
• Central Gippsland Health – will be supported to provide better paediatric care to newborns with this funding supporting a new ATOM Infant Warmer – a critical piece of equipment that helps regulate and maintain the body temperature of newborn infants following c-sections and for babies born prematurely or requiring specialised care. 
• Gippsland Southern Health Service (GSHS) – will see several initiatives implemented to safeguard and elevate service provided to children and young people in the area. This will support the delivery of upgraded equipment and technology to allow an improved virtual consultations experience for patients and their families. Education and training will also be provided to upskill staff in delivering innovative programs for children and young people focused on improving their mental health and wellbeing. Enhancements will also be made to paediatric therapy spaces to support a sensory and welcoming experience for children and their families receiving care at GSHS. 
• Latrobe Regional Hospital (LRH) – will receive funding to access vital education and training in a local setting that, enhancing their regional healthcare expertise and equipping staff with essential and advanced neonatal resuscitation skills and knowledge. The Paediatric Waiting Room in the Emergency Department at LRH will also benefit from an upgrade – creating a more welcoming, calming, sensory and positive experience for children and young people entering ED. The hospital will also receive funding to purchase vital paediatric-specific equipment for their Operating Theatre. This will include infusion pumps that will help to deliver fluids and medications to maintain anaesthesia to children and young people in a controlled and safe manner; and a paediatric ultrasound probe that will ensure that the process of accessing a child or young person’s bloodstream via vein entry is improved, minimises pain and discomfort, and is delivered with greater success.   
• Omeo District Health (ODH) – will be improved with thanks to funding of a state-of-the-art mobile X-ray machine and staff training in radiographic imagining and trauma management. Access to local imaging will enable rapid diagnosis, treatment and appropriate referrals for children experiencing injuries. 
• South Gippsland Hospital (SGH) – will be enhanced with the purchase of an adjustable, portable baby bath – providing family-centred care and allowing new parents the opportunity to comfortably learn how to bath their baby during their hospital stay. Additionally, staff at SGH will be provided with further education and equipment to help build their capability and confidence in performing needle procedures that administer life-saving medications and fluids. 
• West Gippsland Healthcare Group – will support education and training to upskill their nursing workforce, ensuring that their service is meeting the care needs of children, young people and their families within the community. This funding will support the roll-out of four post-graduate scholarships and a Clinical Nurse Educator to assist students, coordinate clinical placements, and develop an educational framework. 

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Building on the funding from 2024

Latrobe Regional Health (LRH) provides specialist health services to the region of Gippsland, caring for a population of over 300,000. Recently, LRH has seen a significant increase in paediatric presentations, and through the Good Friday Appeal’s funding, it has been able to strengthen their commitment to bringing care closer to home.

• Neurodevelopmental clinic – set to open in March 2025, will promote accessible and affordable care, providing personalised treatment plans to children up to two years old. It will be staffed by a multidisciplinary team who, through this funding, have each received specialist training focused on mitigating developmental delays.
• Purchase of RETCAM (retinal scanning camera, neonatal) – by taking digital photos of the structures inside the eye, RETCAMs allow clinicians to scan for and manage eye disease, the system can help prevent retinopathy of prematurity; a treatable sight-threatening condition found in prematurely born infants. Purchasing a RETCAM for the region, and providing training to use it, will not only save children travelling long distances for regular testing, but will also increase regional capacity and reduce waiting times for patients. This equipment was also purchased in 2023 for the RCH, with both pieces of equipment being funded by Cadbury.
• Education and training – Beyond the clinic, funding is supporting the provision of high-level education and training to staff across the hospital, especially within the Emergency Department, through the purchase of brand-new simulation equipment. This funding is also allowing hospital staff to undertake dedicated study days at The Royal Children’s Hospital, enabling staff to elevate their knowledge and skills to improve care and health outcomes for patients in the region.
  

“This clinic will be staffed by a multidisciplinary team who, through this funding, have each received specialist training focused on mitigating developmental delays. The clinic, set to open in March 2025, will promote accessible and affordable person-centred car, providing personalised treatment plans for children up to two years old.”

Don McRae, Latrobe Regional Health Chief Executive Officer.