Kids Rehab at The Children's Hospital at Westmead

Our department is using Consultmed to manage referrals.

  • For GPs, specialists, allied health or health professionals

The Consultmed platform allows you to send e-referrals to us securely. Create an account to get started.

  • For parents and carers

Our contact details and appointment information is further down the page.

Contact details

Kids Rehab

Kids Rehab is one of the three specialised paediatric rehabilitation services (PRS) in NSW, caring for children and young people who as the result of injury, a health condition or surgical or medical intervention would benefit from a multidisciplinary program of goal-directed care.

Please refer to the SCHN Rehabilitation page to learn more about how our service fits within the NSW Paediatric Rehabilitation Service (PRS) and what rehabilitation can do for your child.

The following specialised services are provided by Kids Rehab within inpatient, day admission, outpatient and outreach settings:

Kids Rehab works collaboratively with other clinical teams in the Hospital, such as Orthopaedics, Neurosurgery, Neurology, and other specialised services, to ensure Rehabilitation can be accessed for all patients who need it.

Who can make a referral?

Referrals to the NSW PRS need to be made by a doctor who is able to explain the child or young person’s complex needs. Referrals from specialists (e.g. paediatricians) are preferred.

Kids Rehab Medicine Physicians

When making a referral to Kids Rehab at CHW, it must be addressed to a Doctor (name of Paediatric Rehabilitation Medicine physician is required).

  • Dr Katie Banerjee
  • Dr Antoinette Botman
  • Dr Hannah McGinness
  • Dr Angela Morrow
  • Dr Simon Paget
  • Dr Louise Tofts
  • Dr Mary-Clare Waugh

How to make a referral

A written referral can be made by completing the NSW PRS referral form, or by writing a letter that addresses all the eligibility criteria. Referrals are best made to the NSW PRS team in the Children’s Healthcare Network (CHN) region that the child or young person lives in. Kids Rehab is the primary PRS for the Western Child Health Network.

Our department is using Consultmed to manage referrals.For GPs, specialists, allied health or health professionals, the platform allows you to send e-referrals to us securely. Create an account to get started.

Alternatively, email the referral to SCHN-CHW-KidsRehab@health.nsw.gov.au

Some referrals can be seen at a NSW PRS outside their CHN region, for example, if the child or young person already sees a specialist at one of the children’s hospitals, it may be more suitable to refer to the NSW PRS that works within that hospital.

Referrers can discuss referrals outside the CHN region by calling the relevant NSW PRS. See Agency of Clinical Innovation.

Eligibility criteria

There are seven criteria we use to decide if NSW PRS are the right team, with the right services for your child or young person at this time in their health journey.

Each of these criteria are described in detail below.

1. Health condition

  • Your child or young person has a health condition.
  • A health condition might be:

–      an injury or illness that has occurred (e.g. brain injury, amputation, cancer)

–      a condition present from birth (e.g. cerebral palsy, spina bifida, genetic disorder).

  • NSW PRS does not exclude any specific health condition but we may not be the best service to help your child or young person. If we know other services that are better suited to your child or young person’s health condition, we will suggest them.

2. Address

  • The NSW PRS see children and young people who live in NSW or ACT.
  • The NSW PRS sometimes see children and young people who live interstate or overseas for highly specialised rehabilitation programs.

3. Age

  • The NSW PRS see children and young people aged 0-17 years.
  • For young people aged 16 years and over referral to adult services would be considered especially if the young person has left school.
  • Ante-natal referrals are considered if it is likely the child will meet the other criteria when they are born.

4. Rehabilitation goals

  • NSW PRS provide goal directed care.
  • At the time of referral, we would like to know what goals the NSW PRS team can help your child or young person, and/or your family, achieve.
  • Examples of goals include:

–      improve your child or young person’s ability to move around safely

–      learn about new treatments or therapies

–      receive advice about working with multidisciplinary services

–      work on ideas to improve your child or young person’s learning and friendships

–      receive education about future expectations and needs for your child or young person.

5. Need for a Paediatric Rehabilitation Medicine Physician

  • NSW PRS are medically led services.
  • Your child or young person needs to see a specialist rehabilitation medicine physician (doctor), in addition to the doctors already involved in their care.
  • Examples of reasons to see a specialist rehabilitation medicine physician include:

–      leading a multidisciplinary team assessment

–      prescription of specialist equipment, orthotics or prosthetics

–      advice on specialist rehabilitation treatments

–      future planning to optimise development in young children who have or are expected to have a disability.

6. Activity limitations and participation restriction

  • Your child or young person is limited or restricted in some way from doing the things most children of the same age can do.
  • NSW PRS can also see very young children who are expected to be limited or restricted in their activities or participation in the future.
  • Difficulties might be in areas including (but not limited to):

–      home life

–      talking and communication

–      moving and walking

–      dressing, eating and drinking

–      relationships with family and friends

–      day-care, preschool and school

–      participating in the community.

7. Need for multidisciplinary medical, nursing, allied health services

  • Your child or young person must need more than one kind of therapy or support.
  • Your child or young person might be currently receiving those services, or they might need them, but not yet have them.
  • Examples of multidisciplinary supports they may need include:

–      art therapy

–      case management

–      child life therapy

–      clinical psychology

–      dietetics

–      educational support

–      music therapy

–      neuropsychology

–      nursing

–      occupational therapy

–      physiotherapy

–      social work

–      specialist doctor

–      speech pathology.

What happens when we receive your referral

  • NSW PRS staff will read the referral.
  • We think about whether your child or young person's needs meet the eligibility criteria.
  • If we need more information, staff will contact you or the doctor who sent the referral.
  • If your child or young person meets the criteria, we will contact you to talk about the NSW PRS appointment.
  • If your child or young person does not meet the criteria, we may still be able to give you other ideas to help them based on the information provided and without seeing your child or young person. Staff will contact you to offer alternatives.
  • Waiting times for appointments will be different for each child or young person and will depend on their needs.
  • While you are waiting for an appointment and during your involvement with the NSW PRS, you should continue to use therapies or services that are already available to your child or young person.
  • You can also continue to look for services your child needs but does not yet have.
  • These services may be in the community, at a local health district or hospital, in a private practice or funded through the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).

Preparing for your appointment

Coming to see us? Here's some information to help you get ready.

Things to bring

  • Your Medicare Card
  • Any relevant medical, therapy or school reports for your child
  • Any splints, orthotics or mobility equipment which your child uses

Getting here and parking

Parking at The Children’s Hospital at Westmead can be challenging. There is paid parking available in the multi-storey carpark, which is approximately 300 metres from the Child Assessment Centre. Street parking is limited so allow plenty of time to arrive for your appointment.

If you have an RMS Mobility Permit, Health Care Card, Gold Veterans Affairs Card or Pensioner Concession Card, you are eligible for parking concessions. Visit the Secure Parking Office on Level 2 to validate your parking ticket before returning to your car.

Arrival

  • Check-in for your appointment at the Reception desk in the Child Assessment Centre on Level 3.
  • For assistance with directions, see this map.
  • The clinic nurse will measure your child’s weight and height while you are waiting to be seen.

During your appointment

  • Your first appointment at Kids Rehab may be up to 1 hour long.
  • You will see one of our rehabilitation doctors. You may also see an allied health professional or nurse depending on your child’s needs.
  • We will speak to you about your child’s medical history and development, education, personal care, and evaluate their movements and mobility.
  • We will discuss what goals and interventions might be appropriate for your child.
  • We may recommend some further assessments or tests, such as x-rays.
  • After the appointment, you will receive the clinic report which you can share with the community professionals caring for your child.

Please feel free to contact our team on 9845 0833 or email Kids Rehab, if there is anything else you would like to know before your appointment.