virtualKIDS urgent care service now available

The virtualKIDS Urgent Care Service is Australia’s first paediatric-specific virtual healthcare service.
virtualKIDS is accessible via referral from Healthdirect on 1800 022 222 for free, 24 hours, seven days per week. Members of the public cannot contact virtualKIDS directly.

The virtuaKids Urgent Care Service provides video consultations for children (and their families/carers):

• ​Aged up to 16 years
• With non-life-threatening health concerns
• Located in NSW and in some border areas

virtualKIDS helps families access care and avoid unnecessary visits to hospitals where appropriate. Parents and carers are included in developing the care and treatment plan for their child with the specialist doctors and nurses.

The state-wide service is delivered by the Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network (SCHN) and Hunter New England Local Health District (HNELHD).

It is staffed by senior paediatric nurses from SCHN and HNELHD. Paediatricians are rostered to consult as needed.

The nurses and doctors assess, treat and refer care based on each child’s needs. They can:

• Speak with and provide information to parents and carers on how to safely care for a baby or child at home
• Arrange a consultation with a virtualKIDS expert paediatrician
• Refer the child to their local GP, Urgent Care Service or local children’s healthnetwork
• Arrange an ambulance to a hospital emergency department if needed.

Where necessary, the virtualKIDS team may follow up the care of a child. They may do this by video calls for up to three days.