Northern NSW LHD, Murrumbidgee LHD, Southern NSW LHD, The Sydney Children's Hospitals Network and Western NSW LHD

Finalist: Health Innovation​ Award

The Rural Paediatric Complex Care Coordination Service (RuralKidsGPS) is a new approach to managing care for children with complex medical needs. This is a joint project with Northern NSW LHD, Murrumbidgee Local Health District (LHD), Southern NSW LHD, The Sydney Children's Hospitals Network and Western NSW LHD.

Care coordinators who build strong relationships with families, understand local conditions, and use local resources and networks are employed in each LHD. They work to overcome challenges between different services and regions and promote collaborative practices including virtual care. This project improves care coordination for children, reduces family costs and disruptions, and improves outcomes for families in regional NSW. Currently, this model is implemented in Northern NSW LHD, Murrumbidgee LHD, Southern NSW LHD and Western NSW LHD.

Cost benefit analysis undertaken by LHDs has demonstrated that the programs benefits greatly outweigh its costs.

Evaluations of RuralKidsGPS show it has significantly improved child health related to quality of life, parental wellbeing, and access to care and reduced the number of times hospital is accessed for care. The program is well-received, practical, and valued by families.