From Monday 12 September, Monash Children’s Hospital will have a General Practitioner led paediatric respiratory clinic on site between 6pm and 11pm, 7 nights a week.
Located in Specialist Consulting Clinic 1 inside Monash Children’s Hospital, the new clinic funded by the Department of Health will assist with the demand pressures in the Paediatric emergency department.
“Suitable patients with respiratory symptoms may be directed from paediatric emergency triage straight to the new clinic,” said Kym Forrest, General Manager, Monash Children’s Hospital.
“We know that a significant number of patients presenting during these hours can be safely diverted away from our emergency department and cared for by the respiratory clinic team which includes a general practitioner and registered nurse.”
The clinics will be free to access, with or without a Medicare card.
Monash Health emergency departments are still seeing a high number of respiratory illnesses among children, which can be expected to continue as we enter spring when cases of hay fever will be on the rise and the risk of thunderstorm asthma increases.
Approved by Rachel Rosler