Patient and Family Centred Care

A project which aims to ensure staff at The Royal Children’s Hospital deliver care which is sensitive to the mental health needs of patients is set to be implemented hospital wide.

The Royal Children’s Hospital (RCH) Emergency Department (ED) is one of the busiest in the State, treating up to 300 patients on any given day.

At any one time across the RCH, 15% of patients are receiving nutrition intravenously.

The ecstasy of welcoming healthy twin boys into the world turned to terror for Natalie and Tim when at 24 hours old one of their boys, Bailey, started seizing. An ultra sound showed blood pooling in his brain and two days later an MRI confirmed that the tiny baby boy had had a stroke.

Patients with Intellectual Disability and/or Autism Spectrum Disorder who are also affected by mental health issues are a vulnerable group with a high care needs.

Advances in medical care means that the number of children with complex needs being treated at The Royal Children’s Hospital continues to grow.

With support from the Good Friday Appeal, The Wadja Aboriginal Family Place (Wadja) can provide culturally safe, timely and responsive services to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and families at The Royal Children’s Hospital.