Paediatric Palliative Care Clinical Network

Purpose of the Network

The Paediatric Palliative Care Clinical Network leads and provides clinical oversight of the implementation of the Guidance for Integrated Paediatric Palliative Care Services in New Zealand.  It provides advice on service and treatment issues to the Paediatric Society of New Zealand and Ministry of Health through the Palliative Care Advisory Group.

Role

The role of the Clinical Network is to provide clinical leadership and oversight of the provision of services for children and young people with life-limiting conditions, and their families and whānau in New Zealand.  This will be achieved by:

• Promoting a nationally co-ordinated and consistent approach to the delivery of PPC for children and young people with life-limiting conditions, and their families and whānau

• Leading the implementation of the recommendations of the document, "Guidance for Integrated Paediatric Palliative Care Services in New Zealand"

• Supporting the development of key clinical roles for PPC within DHBs or across DHB regions

• Providing expert clinical advice on service improvement, service development, treatment guidelines and service standards

• Maintaining effective linkages with important clinical (DHB and NGO) and non-clinical stakeholders including consumer groups

• Support the development of a national PPC database

• Develop a system for the monitoring and auditing of services to inform continuous quality improvement, supported by the PPC database

• Providing advice on other specific areas as requested by the Society and Ministry of Health

The network has:

• Key contact list established

• MOU with Hospice NZ on collaborative care between hospices and paediatric services near completion

• Funding gained from Ministry of Health for development of clinical guidelines for end-of-life care and pain management

• Monthly clinical education programme established

Paediatric Palliative Care Model of Care

The Guidance for Integrated Paediatric Palliative Care Services in New Zealand

This guidance was commissioned by the Ministry of Health to improve the integration of palliative care service delivery to children and young people in New Zealand.  Access the on-line version of this document at http://www.health.govt.nz/publication/guidance-integrated-paediatric-palliative-care-services-new-zealand

Paediatric Palliative Care Clinical Network Model of Care

Download the Model of Care for this Clinical Network

Paediatric Palliative Care Clinical Guidelines

All guidelines developed by the New Zealand Paediatric Palliative Care Clinical Network can be accessed via the Starship Clinical Guidance page. They have been developed with the support of the Ministry of Health and are intended to be used by secondary medical, nursing and allied health providers who care for babies, children and young people at the end of life. It is not intended that the guidelines be used by primary care providers or by providers in neonatal intensive units. These guidelines are not suitable for use outside the Palliative Care setting. 

• Agitation - management in the palliative patient

• Bowel Obstruction - management in the palliative patient

• Breathlessness - management in the palliative patient

• Emotional and psychological support at end-of-life

• Massive Bleeding - management of the palliative patient

• Nutrition and Hydration - management in the palliative patient

• Pain - assessment in the palliative patient

• Pain - management in the palliative patient

• Palliative Care Emergencies - approach to

• Planning End of Life Care

• Seizure management in the palliative patient

• Sharing significant news in palliative care

• Spinal Cord Compression management in the palliative patient

• Supporting beliefs and values

• Superior Vena Cava Obstruction in the palliative patient

• Upper Airway Secretions - management in the palliative patient

You can read an introduction to the guidelines or the developmental methodology.

Paediatric Palliative Care Education Forum

If you have just a little or a great interest in Paediatric Palliative Care, then please book the 3rd Tuesday of each month, 0800 - 0900, and your video conference units. If you are not a member of the Paediatric Society Special Interest Group for Palliative Care, or the National Paediatric Palliative Care Clinical Network, then contact Karyn Bycroft to find out how you can be connected with this forum.

Access the past forums here:

Access slides from the forum: Death and Disney. Presenter: Dr Amanda Lyver, Paediatric Oncologist, Children's Haematology/Oncology Centre (CHOC), Waitaha Canterbury