Health authorities are already planning to open a four-bed paediatric intensive care unit at the Canberra Hospital, which a review identified as a key facility needed in the ACT.
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Health Minister Rachel Stephen-Smith said there was a working group in place that had been tasked with working out whether a level 1 paediatric intensive care unit could be established in the ACT.
An external review into paediatric health care in the territory, tabled on Thursday in the Legislative Assembly, found there was a need for a level 1 intensive care unit in Canberra.
"It will open with an expanded intensive care unit and that will include four paediatric beds," Ms Stephen-Smith said on Friday.
"One of the issues that is raised in that review is misunderstanding around what we mean by paediatric intensive care unit
"And it's very clear from that report that the ACT could not sustain a level 2 or level 3 paediatric intensive care unit of the kind that I know some Canberrans wish that we had in the ACT, so that really critically ill children could get all of the care they need here in the ACT without having to be transferred to Sydney."
Ms Stephen-Smith said there were currently only three paediatric intensive care units in NSW: two in Sydney and one in Newcastle.
"The report is very clear that what we can sustain here in the ACT is a level 1 paediatric intensive care unit, that's what we're planning for the critical services building," she said.
The new critical services building is due to open in 2024.
The review of Canberra Hospital identified gaps in the care it could offer to critically unwell children aged between 1 and 12.
That review, conducted by Resolve Health Advisory, presented a three-year services plan for paediatrics in the territory's public health system.
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It found some of the key concerns from those in paediatrics were a lack of appropriate care settings for deteriorating patients, sustainability for general paediatrics staff, lack of formal arrangements with Sydney hospitals and workforce and training gaps.
Ms Stephen-Smith on Thursday told the Assembly Canberra Health Services had started work on key recommendations for the review.
The Health Minister said a senior project leader had been appointed to oversee the recommendations of the review.
"The purpose of the review was to provide a three-year plan with actions to be implemented to ensure the paediatrics department at Canberra Hospital delivers on the vision of creating exceptional health care together," Ms Stephen-Smith said.
The opposition described the review as "damning" after it "highlight[ed] massive gaps in caring for Canberra's sick kids".
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Jasper Lindell
Jasper Lindell joined The Canberra Times in 2018. He is a Legislative Assembly reporter, covering ACT politics and government. He also writes about development, transport, heritage, local history, literature and the arts, as well as contributing to the Times' Panorama magazine. He was previously a Sunday Canberra Times reporter.
Jasper Lindell joined The Canberra Times in 2018. He is a Legislative Assembly reporter, covering ACT politics and government. He also writes about development, transport, heritage, local history, literature and the arts, as well as contributing to the Times' Panorama magazine. He was previously a Sunday Canberra Times reporter.
