Kaleidoscope GNS General and Community Paediatrics Review
Aims
- Produce an evidence based framework to inform the models and scope of practice for general and community paediatrics.
- Review the provision of consultant-led Inpatient Services for general and community paediatrics including on call for general paediatrics, child protection and child sexual assault.
- Review the relationships of general and community paediatricians in Newcastle with other paediatricians in JHCH, paediatricians in the four Rural Referral Hospitals in HNE Health and those in NCAHS, and Critical Care, Surgical, Mental Health and community health services for children across the Area where relevant.
- Review the current provision of General and Community Paediatric Outpatient Services provided at JHCH, Belmont, Wallsend, Raymond Terrace, Nelson Bay and relevant outreach clinics provided outside the KGNS catchment.
- Review the management and leadership of the General and Community Paediatrics service streams in Kaleidoscope GNS.
- Describe the interface between General and Community Paediatricians employed within KGNS and their interfaces with clinical streams and domains.
- Examine whether changes should be recommended to facilitate improved pre-specialty training of consultant general and community paediatricians and other junior medical staff who may be contemplating careers involving some care of children and young people .
- Make recommendations to support the sustainability of the services.
Method
This KGNS General and Community Paediatrics review is part of a NCHN project “Responding to the changing face of Paediatrics” which aims to develop sustainable service models for paediatrics for HNE Health. The KGNS review is the major piece of work in this project and will inform service development in general and community paediatrics across HNE Health. It will complement paediatrics reviews undertaken at Manning Base Hospital (Taree) and Tamworth Base Hospital.
Growing concerns about the sustainability of General and Community Paediatrics in Greater Newcastle as well as issues concerning succession planning and the capacity to deliver future services given a changing workforce culture prompted the review of these services.
The review was undertaken using internal and external resources and considered the scope and model of general and community paediatric practice. The review was informed by the local population and services data and from a series of consultations with key stakeholders involved in the provision of children’s health services in Kaleidoscope and in Hunter New England Health.
While many challenges were identified, the three most common which were acknowledged as critical to the development of the services were leadership, service models and rostering. The review explored these issues and has made a number of priority recommendations to progress service development.
Other issues explored within the review include governance, the defining of core business of General and Community Paediatrics, interfaces with other specialties including mental health, staffing, training and professional development. Recommendations have been made with regard to these issues as a way forward in building a sustainable service.
Key performance indicators
The success of the project will be measured by:
- Governance model and review process established
- Recommendations developed and accepted for a sustainable General and Community Paediatric Service in KGNS including the implications for HNE Health General and Community Paediatrics
- Final Report delivered to KGNS and NCHN
Progress
- The project is now complete and we are awaiting the final report from the consultant.
For more information contact:
Pat Marks
Director & Director of Nursing, Kaleidoscope
Phone: 02 4921 3683