The Melbourne Children’s Trials Centre

The Royal Children’s Hospital (RCH) already conducts many high quality clinical trials and with a dedicated centre on campus, better co-ordination and an improved facility, the RCH is performing more clinical trials, more often. Some of these trials include screening, early treatment and new important therapeutics or improved clinical management and medical procedure.

Thanks to the Good Friday Appeal, the Melbourne Children’s Trial Centre (MCTC) has been able to increase the capacity to support clinical trials across The Royal Children’s Hospital (RCH) and Murdoch Children’s Research Institute (MCRI), also known as the Melbourne Children’s Campus. This is helping to drive healthcare innovation and support sick children all across the hospital.  

Importantly, the centre has also helped support and oversee close to 400 clinical trials across last year alone. Professor Andrew Davidson, the Medical Director of the MCTC, knows first-hand the impact this program has had campus wide. 

Professor Andrew Davidson

“The MCTC ensures that we have the best environment to support and perform trials across campus. This ensures that our trials are more powerful and efficient,” said Andrew.  

The MCTC supports all types of trials, including commercially sponsored trials which aim to test the success of a new drug or medical device. Since the MCTC began, the centre has helped support over 250 of these types of trials, helping change countless lives.  

Andrew was especially proud to share the recent impact this type of trial has had on a three-year-old boy living with a rare metabolic condition called phenylketonuria. This condition typically requires a lifelong restrictive diet, as a sudden increase in protein can risk neurological impairment and intellectual disability.  

Fortunately, however, the toddler was able to participate in a clinical trial at the RCH, leading to a breakthrough in his treatment. This allowed the sick child to enjoy something many take for granted – his first birthday cake.  

“Often these rare diseases have no treatment option other than a clinical trial – and most of the time, these trials are lifesaving, and it completely changes the child and family’s life,” Andrew explained.  

The MCTC also supports investigator initiative trials. These trials respond to academic or clinician research questions, helping change the way that children are cared for globally.  

“With investigator initiative trials, we want to continue to be at the forefront of innovative ways of doing them. We’re already very successful as a campus and we want to continue to be very successful,” Andrew said.  

With over 100 investigator initiative trials running at any time, the MCTC is helping promote the advancement of medical knowledge, all while changing the lives of young people.  

Looking forward, the MCTC aims to further advance paediatric healthcare innovation on both a regional, national and global scale.  

“This funding has allowed us to work more closely with the Sydney Children’s Hospital, Monash Children’s Hospital and the Queensland Children’s Hospital. This has been particularly important for rare diseases, where we needed a national approach to trials,” Andrew shared.  

The MCTC is revolutionising healthcare for children and young people across the world. Thanks to the Good Friday Appeal, the centre will be able to further establish themselves as leaders in enabling efficiency and high-quality paediatric trials.  

“The Good Friday Appeal’s support is helping provide an environment so that children at the RCH and sometimes around Australia can get access to whatever treatments they need that can completely change their lives,”

Professor Andrew Davidson, the Medical Director of the Melbourne Children’s Trials Centre

“The MCTC makes a huge difference to children all over,” Andrew concluded.

Example Trials

Positive end-expiratory pressure levels during resuscitation of preterm infants at birth (POLAR) trial

Almost all premature babies receive help with their breathing using a treatment called positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP). The device used can give air and oxygen to the lungs between each breath to stop their lungs from collapsing.  

Currently, due to a lack of evidence, doctors around the world give different amounts of PEEP to premature babies. 

The POLAR trial explores the right amount of PEEP to give at birth. 

Last updated March 2025

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TOTAL XVII – TOTAL Therapy Study

Thanks to the Good Friday Appeal’s Run for the Kids initiative, newly diagnosed patients with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) and lymphoblastic lymphoma at The Royal Children’s Hospital (RCH) have been able to access the latest in personalised medicine.

The trial, known as the TOTAL Therapy Study XVII or TOTAL 17, is an international collaboration led by St Jude Children’s Research Hospital in America.  

Over the past two years, 62 patients at the RCH have been enrolled in the innovative program, far exceeding the initial aim of enrolling 20 patients per year. Recruitment for the trial ceased in mid-2023 due to reaching the trials capacity limit, with patients enrolled continuing with follow up therapy and treatments including neurocognitive assessments.

Once enrolled, the child’s blood and bone marrow samples were sent to St Jude. There, clinicians used state-of-the-art tools and gene mapping to identify the specific cancer-causing gene combinations, providing patients with the opportunity to receive treatment that is specifically designed to fight their type of cancer.  

Additionally, the study offers an opportunity to identify the likelihood of cancer impacting patients and their families again in the future, while also providing information about the suitability of different drugs to help minimise side effects. 

Currently, the RCH is the only hospital in Australia participating in the TOTAL Therapy Study XVII, providing access to the best outcomes globally.   

This would not be possible without support of the Good Friday Appeal and Run for the Kids, something Dr Di Hanna, a Paediatric Oncologist at the RCH Children’s Cancer Centre, is grateful for.  

Dr Di Hanna

“The Good Friday Appeal fundraising is critical for every piece of the cancer journey. We need the latest research, diagnostic tools, best clinical trials, and patient and family support networks, and the Good Friday Appeal has been a cornerstone for each part of that.  

“Importantly, thanks to the Good Friday Appeal, we are also able to provide children with leukaemia and lymphoma access to one of the best clinical trials in the world,” said Dr Hanna.  

One of the patients enrolled in the trial is five year old Bobby, who was diagnosed with B-cell ALL when he was three.  

For patients like Bobby, the long term impacts of the TOTAL Therapy Study XVII are life changing.  

Bobby Marr in hospital

“One of the best things the trial has offered us is the additional supports, including the neurocognitive and physio assessments. It has been invaluable for us when considering things like getting Bobby ready for school, including any adjustments we need to make,” said Trudy, Bobby’s mum.  

“Additionally, the idea that we could be part of that larger pool of research is significant to us. Being able to contribute to future developments to benefit other families made our decision an easy one,” she added. 

Impact Milestones

2023 – 2024
  • By the end of April 2023, 48 out of the 62 enrolled patients completed baseline tests to determine how the brain works in terms of thinking, learning, remembering and problem solving.
  • The tests provided valuable data and insights for early interventions and referrals to relevant departments.
  • Samples from patients were sent to St Jude Children’s Hospital for comprehensive genomic profiling of leukemia cells. Out of the 52 patients profiled, 16 received targeted therapy.
  • Thanks to the new and targeted therapies, some patients who entered the trial avoided having a bone marrow transplant. 
  • Based on sampling, St Jude’s has also helped identify two patients with a variant that may influence cancer predisposition.
  • Patients and their families have been linked with RCH Genetic Counselling services.
  • Beyond immediate treatment, patients were also offered assessments that look at how treatments affect the brain and thinking abilities.
  • As of September 2024, the study remained close to recruitment, with 45 patients still participating in the study. Meanwhile, three have completed the study and are in follow-up therapy.

Last updated March 2025

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Child Life Therapy in the Emergency Department

The Royal Children’s Hospital (RCH) Emergency Department (ED) is facing more challenges than ever with increased demand and complex patient needs. To help address these challenges, and thanks to support from the Good Friday Appeal and Woolworths, the RCH is extending its Child Life Therapy (CLT) program to this critical department.  

CLT is a proven solution that tackles the emotional and social aspects of a hospital stay, as well as engaging, educating and empowering young patients and parents.  

At its core, CLT is about creating an environment where children and young people feel safe and supported, which can reduce anxiety, and turn hospital visits into positive experiences. Child Life Therapists focus on the emotional wellbeing of young patients, offering tailored interventions to ease stress associated with medical procedures. 

Through techniques such as medical and therapeutic play, and procedure preparation and support, CLT creates a positive and engaging environment, fostering emotional expression and understanding. Therapists collaborate with clinical teams to advocate for the child’s perspective, contributing insights into emotional states and ensuring a holistic approach to care.  

Child Life Therapists at The Royal Children’s Hospital

Sinead Walker, mother of 6 year old RCH patient Charlie, has seen first-hand how CLT can improve a child’s hospital experience.

“The child life therapist came and talked Charlie through the options – about what they could do and the way that they could do it, and spoke through what would happen and why it would happen. It was quite a calming influence.  

“It was very reassuring to know that someone was leading us through that process and leading Charlie through it… It was very supportive.  

“The little donations probably feel small but actually for us, anything in the hospital that makes life easier is such a huge benefit to us and our kids.” 

Beth Dun, Manager of CLT and Music Therapy at the RCH, explains the importance of this program in helping make hospitals a more comfortable environment for children.  

“Sometimes a child’s first hospital experience will be the ED. It can be a scary place if they’ve never been before, and one of the things CLT can do is help make it a positive place and experience.”  

Beth shared an example of CLT in the ED in action when an eight-year-old boy with autism presented with a foreign body in his ear. With CLT support, the boy and his mother engaged in medical play, introducing them to the removal process. The therapist’s help allowed the clinician to practice on the boy’s mother, and the visual example helped the child cooperate.  

Remarkably, the foreign body was removed without sedation, completing the process in just 30 minutes. In contrast, this same scenario without CLT would likely involve a need for restraint and sedation, involving more staff, upsetting the child, and taking up to three hours to recover.  

“For example, if a child is distressed, the clinical staff may choose to use something like nitrous to help reduce stress. If the child has nitrous, they have to stay in the hospital until that wears off. The wait times are then so much longer. So we’re hoping that the use of sedation might come down in cases of distress,” Beth said.  

This example illustrates how CLT not only enhances patient care but also significantly improves efficiency and cost-effectiveness in the ED. Benefits like improved patient flow and decreased sedation requirements will all contribute to a more positive experience for children and families overall.  

Beth and her team are incredibly grateful for the community’s support in making this project a reality.  

Any donation is going to make such a difference to the child’s experience. It’s heartwarming to know that that the community’s behind us and what we do,” she said. “People donating to this cause can be assured that their money is going towards creating more positive experiences for children at The Royal Children’s Hospital.”

Thanks to support from the Victorian community and the Good Friday Appeal, the RCH can expand vital services like CLT, ensuring every child receives compassionate and individualised trauma informed care. 

Impact Milestones

2024
  • Implementing Child Life Therapy (CLT) in the Emergency Department (ED) service, which includes evening shifts seven days per week, launched in February 2024.  
  • Three brand-new, dedicated Child Life Therapists have officially begun working across the ED.   
  • Since commencement of the service, over 1,900 episodes of care have been delivered. 

Last updated March 2025.

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Implementing a Vascular Access Specialist Team at the RCH

Thanks to the generosity of the Good Friday Appeal and its supporters, children receiving care at The Royal Children’s Hospital (RCH) will soon be the first in Australia to have an expert team of specialist nurses providing support with the insertion of peripheral intravenous catheters (PIVCs).   

Also known as a cannula or drip, PIVCs are used to deliver life saving medications and fluids to patients across the RCH. Each year, approximately 30,000 PIVCs are inserted at the RCH, making it the hospital’s most common invasive procedure.   

For some patients, the trauma of their first PIVC insertion can leave a lasting impact, causing high levels of anxiety and fear. Routine assessments or even simple checks, such as looking at the site, can become distressing triggers for children and young people. 

This is where the Vascular Access Specialist Team (VAST) comes in.  

Committed to revolutionising paediatric care, the VAST brings together a group of expert clinicians equipped with advanced knowledge and skills in vascular access. Recognising the challenges and trauma faced by young patients, the VAST is dedicated to improving expertise, reducing complications, enhancing staff education, and championing a patient-centred approach to PIVC insertion. 

Eloise Borello, a Clinical Nurse Consultant who specialises in vascular access, explained that the project will make an enormous difference in the quality-of-care patients receive.  

“Many children who present to the RCH often require urgent medical treatment, and the fastest way to administer the medications and fluids they so vitally need is through a PIVC. 

Eloise Borello, Clinical Nurse Consultant, Vascular Access

“Whilst PIVCs are common, it can be challenging to insert these devices in children as they have smaller, more fragile veins which are often difficult to see. This becomes even more difficult in children who are critically unwell. No child likes to have a needle inserted, and young children can become very scared and distressed when they need a cannula,” Eloise explained.  

“We know that inserting a cannula is one of the scariest procedures for children in hospital. Children and families have told us that the memories of a bad experience can last many years which can impact care in and out of the hospital. We are committed to reducing pain, anxiety and trauma that can be associated with PIVC insertion. The goal of the VAST is to create the best experience possible for children and their families”. 

“By ensuring a best practice approach to PIVC insertion, including use of advanced technology like ultrasound guided insertion, by a team of highly skilled clinicians who are experts in the field, the RCH will be at the forefront of care for children and families”.

Mary, Associate Unit Manager, Day Medical Unit assessing a patient’s PIVC

While ultrasound guidance is scientifically shown to be the best technique to insert PIVCs, its uptake has not been widespread across most Australian healthcare settings because it takes clinicians months of training and experience to develop the advanced ultrasound skills required. 

“The new ultrasound machines, also supported thanks to the Good Friday Appeal and its partners, will be instrumental in allowing us to use ultrasound guidance routinely for PIVC insertion, which is key to the successful outcomes of this treatment.  

“Growing a team of nursing experts skilled in the advanced ultrasound techniques will provide children who need this treatment with the best opportunity of having a successful insertion of the PIVC on the first attempt, drastically improving their experience,” said Eloise.  

Importantly, the impact of the VAST will reach beyond the four walls of the RCH.  

“Our goal is to create a service which includes a team of expert PIVC inserters and educators who will mentor and train junior doctors and nurses in best practice in PIVC insertion. As these clinicians rotate to different hospitals as part of their training, the skills they have developed will benefit children across Australia. 

“We will also share our learnings around service design, data and outcomes. This collaboration will expand on the existing relationships the RCH has with our national colleagues and will ensure we cultivate a community of practice where ideas and learnings can be shared, and where implementation of best practice PIVC insertion is spread to all states,” said Eloise.  

The introduction of VAST at the RCH will be a turning point for paediatric healthcare in Australia, something that Eloise knows would not be possible without the generosity of the Good Friday Appeal and its supporters.  

“We’re so grateful for the community in making this project possible. For our team, receiving this support represents how our community shares in a vision that values improving the experience of treatment in hospital for sick children across Victoria and Australia.   

“Your generosity allows us to innovate and develop a service which will be an Australian first in paediatric healthcare, and for that I would like to say thank you,”.

Eloise Borello

Impact Milestones

2024
  • July: Recruited team leads 
  • October: Recruited VAST nurses. There are 11 VAST nurses in total who will work from 8am – 10pm, seven days a week, across the hospital. 
  • December: state-of-the-art ultrasound machines purchased

Last updated February 2025

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The Integrated RCH Apheresis service – A Centre of Excellence

Dr Anthea Greenway, the Head of Clinical Haematology and Clinical Lead for the RCH Apheresis Service, describes apheresis as the process of ‘cleaning or separating the blood.’ 

“Basically, we are using a special machine called the Terumo Spectra Optia Apheresis System to separate the blood into its separate components. This machine spins the blood at a rapid speed which helps us to separate it into layers. Each one of those layers of the blood can contribute to how we might look after a patient with a range of different conditions, from cancers or leukaemia and blood disorders to kidney and neurological diseases” Anthea shared. 

The Terumo Spectra Optia Apheresis System makes this procedure as efficient and effective as possible. This state-of-the-art device, generously funded by 3AW and the Good Friday Appeal, has allowed clinical staff to further prioritise patient care and treat even more patients.  

Terumo Spectra Optia Apheresis System

“One of the incredible things about Apheresis is that we can treat a broad range of conditions, so that’s why the use of Apheresis has continues to grow quickly,” Anthea further explained.   

Access to this treatment is vital as it can be used to assist countless patients across the RCH, including those undergoing stem cell transplants, leukaemia treatment and those being treated for sickle cell disease. It can also assist with the management of organ rejection and dysfunction following transplantation and with life threatening kidney and neurological diseases. 

“We have set up an interdisciplinary service where we have an amazing group of nursing staff, scientists and clinicians who move across all those different work areas. Together, we share our expertise and medical knowledge so we can provide the best care to our patients,”

Dr Anthea Greenway

“Previously, and in other centres where this is set up as a separated system, it has been challenging to maintain coverage across all disease groups and specialties. It’s also hard to provide in-depth experience and service to make sure we’re giving great care to our patients,” she continued.   

This interdisciplinary model is an Australian-first, helping maximise staff expertise and focus on the needs of each child. Additionally, the service is widely recognised for its ability to deliver patient-centred care in the RCH’s Ambulatory Day Medical Centre.  

“The Ambulatory Day Centre allows patients to come from the ward or from home to have their treatment. This space offers them a family-friendly environment as it accommodates the parents, offers education, art therapy and more,” Anthea shared. 

The outpatient setting of the Ambulatory Day Centre also reduces the need for intensive hospital stays, providing patients with more flexible care.  

“The day medical centre allows us to, where appropriate, de-escalate and free up resources for other children that need them. Many of our patients are still coming in and doing schoolwork, therapy and normal kid activities,” Anthea highlighted.

Dr Anthea Greenway

The Apheresis Service is helping save and transform the lives of sick children in a way that was not possible a decade ago.  

“Some of my patients were only able to walk with a crutch or couldn’t participate in sport. But once they started this treatment, they have been able to throw away that crutch, perform at a high-level in sports and thrive at school, including completing their exams,” Anthea emphasised. 

The Apheresis Service has also been able to address the need for an after-hours service by offering training and education programs that were not previously available in the country. This is helping cultivate a sustainable workforce of dedicated Australian healthcare professionals that can support even more sick children across the country. 

“Establishing the Apheresis Service with an emphasis on education, training and quality has been really important in maintaining excellent care for our patients,” Anthea said. 

“In a hospital such as the RCH which provides care to all children across Melbourne, regional Victoria and beyond, access to an excellent paediatric apheresis service is critical in ensuring we’re providing the best possible care,” Anthea added. 

The RCH’s Apheresis Service is now at the forefront of paediatric excellence. Thanks to the support of the Good Friday Appeal and 3AW, the RCH has been able to provide world-class treatment to sick children and is now better equipped to respond to new developments in healthcare.  

“We absolutely appreciate the Good Friday Appeal’s support in this critical endeavour, and it would not have been possible without their help.” 

Last updated March 2025

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Professor of Paediatric Emergency Medicine

The RCH’s Emergency Department is Australia’s largest paediatric Emergency Department. Not only does it help sick and injured children, but it also supports world-leading research.

The research will improve emergency care for all children and young people, both at the RCH and beyond. Funding from the Good Friday Appeal will allow the RCH to expand its research into areas including concussion, neck injury, bronchiolitis, acute mental health, bell’s palsy and sepsis.  

Professor Franz Babl, Professor of Paediatric Emergency Medicine.

Based at the RCH, Franz’s role is to initiate and oversee research to improve emergency care for children and young people at the RCH and beyond. Franz will often work in collaboration with other clinical and research teams onsite at the Melbourne Children’s Campus. The role has helped position the Melbourne Children’s Campus as a global leader in paediatric emergency medicine research.

“My role as Professor of Paediatric Emergency Medicine has given me an amazing privilege to have a positive impact on the frontline care of many children across many hospitals, rather than looking after just one injured or sick child at a time.”

“I am grateful for the opportunity to continue this important work in the coming years thanks to the support of the Victorian community through the Good Friday Appeal.”

Professor Franz Babl, Professor of Paediatric Emergency Medicine

With Franz’s support, the department has generated new knowledge, contributing to more than 200 publications over the past five years. These include top-tier journals such as the New England Journal of Medicine, The Journal of the American Medical Association and The Lancet. Much of this new knowledge has led to changes in clinical practice.

Impact Milestones

2022/2023
  • Professor Franz Babl sourced grant funding totalling $8.3 million to support additional world leading research.  
  • Professor Franz Babl won the 2022 Elizabeth Molyneux Prize in recognition of outstanding work in the field of paediatric medicine for his paper titled, “Efficacy of Prednisolone for Bell Palsy in Children: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Multicenter Trial”. 
  • Research projects undertaken by Professor Franz Babl and his team in 2022/2023 looked at a range of topics including: Concussion, Neck injury, Bronchiolitis, Bell’s Palsy, Acute mental health, Sepsis.

Last updated February 2025.

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Healthy Trajectories: A Child and Youth Disability Research Hub

Children with disability are among the most complex patients at The Royal Children’s Hospital (RCH). This means it is important to develop an innovative and research-based approach when it comes to the management of disability related health and social issues. Thanks to the support of the Good Friday Appeal, the RCH has been able to develop Healthy Trajectories; a child and youth disability research hub at the Melbourne Children’s Campus.

This hub harnesses the strengths of the campus partners to put in place a new vision for children with disability, their families and carers, with the potential for significant Victorian, national and international impact. It aims to increase inclusion and participation for children and young people with disability by targeting potential barriers and inequalities and addressing the research priorities they identify as crucial.

Themes like building a sense of belonging for students with disability and designing learning spaces for diversity, inclusion and participation have been explored through hub research. This interdisciplinary research addresses practice and policy gaps, helping to build a more sustainable National Disability Insurance Scheme and making a life-changing difference to patients.

Last updated March 2024

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Melbourne Children’s Campus Mental Health Strategy

Ensuring access to mental health prevention and early intervention for this cohort has been an ongoing challenge. The Melbourne Children’s Campus Mental Health Strategy is on a mission to change this and is predicted to impact more than 600,000 children beyond the strategy’s proposed five year period.

The Melbourne Children’s Campus Mental Health Strategy is an ambitious multi-year project that aims to provide a uniform and evidence based approach to mental health prevention, care and advocacy for all children, young people and their families across the Melbourne Children’s Campus, which includes The Royal Children’s Hospital (RCH), the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute and The University of Melbourne Department of Paediatrics.

Supported by the Good Friday Appeal and their partner Decjuba Foundation, this multi-year strategy is making strides in transforming child and youth mental health care, education, and research. Over the past three years, it has increased engagement with lived experience advisors, launched a world’s first evidence-based Clinical Practice Guideline for children and young people with anxiety, developed staff training programs in mental health literacy, and skills and has six active research projects on the go.

Led by Professor Harriet Hiscock (pictured below) and Belinda Horton, the strategy is ensuring a holistic approach to mental health across the campus.

Professor Harriet Hiscock

“One of the objectives of the strategy is to advocate for and equip staff to see children’s health and wellbeing as integrated physical and mental health. Our tagline – ‘mental health is everyone’s business’ – conveys this collective responsibility. We’re very grateful to the Good Friday Appeal for supporting this vital work.” 

Professor Harriet Hiscock and Belinda Horton, Program Directors of the Melbourne Children’s Campus Mental Health Strategy. 

“Our tagline – ‘mental health is everyone’s business’ – conveys this collective responsibility and our strategy activities have facilitated new conversations about this,” Harriet and Belinda shared.

Both Harriet and Belinda shed light on the pivotal role that engagement with campus stakeholders has played in guiding the strategy towards success. The collaboration with the Steering Committee, and advisory, working and focus groups, has been instrumental in shaping the strategy’s approach to mental health, fostering a collective commitment to its objectives.

“These ‘pockets of awesomeness’ across the campus are about bringing together the people who are already doing exceptional work, to integrate and build on this work and to identify gaps.

It has also been wonderful to equally privilege children, young people and families’ lived experience of mental health and recovery and the lived experience of campus clinicians, researchers, and educators,” they recalled.

With over 100 individuals actively participating in advisory and working groups and many more engaging with strategy communications and activities, Harriet and Belinda shared the significance of this broad engagement across the Melbourne Children’s Campus.

“We have been privileged to work with many people from across the campus from multi-disciplinary backgrounds and the full range of research, education, clinical and non-clinical expertise.

“We see this as a privilege because the contributions of these very busy people have been provided in kind from their commitment to improving research, education and care of the mental health of children, young people and their families,” they shared.

“In line with our initial strategy planning, the final two years will be focused on ensuring that the outputs of each part of the strategy are embedded where they need to be across the campus and embraced by staff and campus leaders,” Harriet and Belinda explained.

Through innovative approaches, collaborative partnerships, and a commitment to inclusivity, the Melbourne Children’s Campus Mental Health Strategy seeks to shape a future where mental health challenges are met with effective, compassionate, and readily accessible support for every child and young person across the Melbourne Children’s Campus.

Impact Milestones

2021
  • Recruitment and onboarding of 14 staff to develop and build the Strategy Implementation Team.
  • Development of an Interim Lived Experience Engagement Strategy to lay the foundations for seamless engagement of children and young people with lived experience of mental health concerns and recovery, and their parents, carers, and families.
  • Soft launch of the Mental Health Central website with continued uploading of content throughout the life of the strategy.
  • Integration of the strategy with the Mental Health Transformation Program within specialist RCH Mental Health Teams
  • Implementing the recommendations of the Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System, including establishment of an integration team, regular meetings, and communications to stakeholders.
2022
  • Development of the Lived Experience Advisor Network (LEAN). 
  • Active engagement of over 100 people from across the Campus in advisory and working groups. 
  • Completion of two funded research projects. 
  • Models of care and program evaluation for better detection and support of child and family mental health. 
  • Close to a full complement of staff in the Strategy Implementation Team (SIT) with 20 part time staff. 
2023
  • Launched the world’s first evidence-based Clinical Practice Guideline for Anxiety in Children and Young People. 
  • Continued development of Mental Health Central, the strategy website. 
  • Engaged over 60 lived experience advisors in various strategy activities, including the Children’s Mental Health Gallery. 
  • Strengthened collaboration between the Strategy Implementation Team, Steering Committee, and advisory groups. 
2024-2025
  • Conclusion of pilots and projects, moving to scaling and sustainability beyond the life of the strategy.

Last updated March 2025.

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Clinical Leader for Trauma, Burns and Surgery Research

Tasked with treating the most severely injured children, it’s essential that the RCH remains at the forefront of great trauma care. Thanks to support from the Good Friday Appeal, Associate Professor Warwick Teague is ensuring that happens.  

Associate Professor Warwick Teague

A trailblazer in his field, Warwick plays an important role in trauma, burns and surgery, continuing to develop the RCH as a national and international leader ensuring the RCH can continue to provide the best care to children and young people.

Noah Seddon, aged 15, was a patient of Warwick’s after suffering burns to his arm and hand. 

“The work Warwick does changes people’s lives, especially with how confident they are and their overall mental health. People would be much worse off without Warwick and the other clinicians at The Royal Children’s Hospital.”

Noah’s dad, Glenn, spoke highly of Warwick following his sons treatment.

“At the start, when we first saw Noah’s arm, we didn’t know what was going to happen. Then as things progressed and we spoke to Warwick and saw the game plan his team had, it really helped us. What he does is amazing.”

As Director of the RCH Trauma Service, Warwick leads a team of dedicated clinicians who provide emergency treatment and ongoing care for patients. He also plays a vital leadership role in trauma prevention, education and research. 

Warwick’s recent achievements include leading the RCH Trauma Service to successfully complete the first of a two-phase project to implement a world class, evidence-based trauma quality improvement program.  

He has continued to support, grow and develop the RCH Burns Service, ensuring the team stays at the forefront of clinical care and innovation with the implementation of new tools and techniques like microneedling and the use of a fractional ablative CO2 laser. 

Warwick and his co-convener and colleague, Dr Monique Bertinetti, the RCH Burns Service hosted the 2023 Annual Scientific Meeting of the Australian and New Zealand Burn Association, which brought together the brightest and best of the ANZ and regional burn care community to Melbourne in late 2023.  

Warwick produces quality knowledge for the hospital and the community. In the last three years, Warwick has published 35 peer reviewed journal articles and four book chapters. He has also delivered 30 invited presentations to national and international conferences and seminars and made multiple media appearances.

He has also supervised a PhD student, which he described as “very exciting”.  

All of this, Warwick says, would not be possible without the Good Friday Appeal.   

“Thanks to support from the Good Friday Appeal, I am given the permission, as well as the protected time, to dedicate myself to both clinical and research work, which is really special.”
“When I think about the people who give to the Good Friday Appeal each year, knowing my role is one of the things they contribute to, I find it so humbling. I also feel an undeniable sense of gratitude. I don’t even know how to put my thanks into words.”

Associate Professor Warwick Teague, Director of Trauma, Clinical Leader for Trauma, Burns and Surgery Research, and Academic Paediatric Surgeon

Impact Milestones

2021
  • Warwick led the implementation of a world standard trauma quality improvement program at the RCH, which included the establishment of a new Trauma Clinical Nurse Consultant role.  
  • Warwick continued working with key RCH Burns Service colleagues to organise and commence research activities focusing on children’s burns, multi disciplinary management and long term outcomes.  
  • Warwick became Co-Group Leader for Surgical Research within the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute (MCRI), together with his colleague, Professor Sebastian King.  
  • Warwick continued producing new, quality knowledge for the hospital and the community, including 19 peer reviewed journal publications, addressing topics including trauma, burns, COVID-19, oesophageal atresia and other clinical paediatric surgery.  
  • Warwick co-authored four book chapters in 2021. He also shared knowledge with four presentations at conferences and multiple media appearances.
2022
  • Warwick led the RCH Trauma Service to successfully complete the first of a two-phase project to implement a world class, evidence-based trauma quality improvement program.  
  • Warwick has continued to grow and develop the RCH Burns Service, supporting recent, strategic staff appointments within surgical, clinical and nursing roles. He has encouraged an evidence based, evidence creating, and patient focused adoption of new burn treatment technologies.  
  • In addition, under the leadership of Warwick and his co-convener and colleague, Dr Monique Bertinetti, the RCH Burns Service hosted the 2023 Annual Scientific Meeting of the Australian and New Zealand Burn Association, which brought together the brightest and best of the ANZ and regional burn care community to Melbourne in late 2023.  
  • Warwick continued as Co-Group Leader of Surgical Research, together with his colleague, Professor Sebastian King. One new development in this space has been the engagement of surgical research as a key contributor to a new MCRI research flagship program, the High-Risk Infants Flagship. 
  • Warwick continued producing quality knowledge for the hospital and the community, including eight peer reviewed journal articles and three invited book chapters. He also shared knowledge with 12 presentations at conferences and seminars, and multiple media appearances.

Last updated February 2025.

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Barwon Health

From saving babies’ lives thanks to resuscitation training and new video equipment, and increasing patient care and outcomes by using specialised ultrasounds, to upskilling nursing staff in response to a surge in eating disorders, funding will support critically ill children and young people of all ages across the Barwon area.

Purchasing a video laryngoscope

Purchasing a video laryngoscope for the neonatal unit at Southwest Healthcare will allow trainees and junior consultants to improve their skills in intubating premature babies, by allowing other clinicians to watch the procedure via video and provide guidance in real-time. 

Support for eating disorders

Responding to a surge in eating disorders and mental health admissions, which has continued since COVID-19, training will further develop the skills of paediatric nursing staff at Barwon Health and Southwest, ranging from short courses to a graduate certificate in mental health. 

Point of Care Ultrasound (POCUS) training 

In addition to enabling a broad range of treatments, such as performing lumbar punctures, and checking for collapsed lungs, research shows that POCUS improves patient care by accelerating clinical diagnoses, improving procedural success, and making invasive procedures less painful. With new funding, Barwon Health staff can access the RCH’s POCUS education package, and purchase simulation practice equipment, thereby increasing local skills, and further benefiting the region’s paediatric patients. 

Resuscitation training

Enhancing resuscitation training for neonatal care staff across the region, Barwon Health will purchase training manikins, and procure licenses to deliver the NeoResus training program, which has standardised the teaching of newborn resuscitation in Victoria. NeoResus training will be delivered to staff in Geelong and Warrnambool, who will then deliver the training within their own health service, as well as to smaller services nearby.   

2025 Funding Update

Barwon Health is the largest service in the Barwon Southwest region, providing tertiary medical care and a comprehensive range of offerings to the community. The hospital has been able to fund training programs and life-saving equipment, helping advance paediatric healthcare in the area.

  • Support for eating disorders – Responding to a surge in eating disorders and mental health admissions, which has continued since COVID-19, training will further develop the skills of paediatric nursing staff. It has also supported refurbishments in the hospital’s Children’s Ward to enable group activities for eating disorder patients and nurses have been able to enroll in postgraduate study, short courses, and attend conferences.
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  • Neonatal resuscitation – Purchase of mannequins and training licenses in relation to neonatal resuscitation, which has expanded their capacity to deliver essential training programs and provide excellent care. Not only has this made a difference for staff in Geelong, but it has also helped to upskill teams across the region, including in Warrnambool and Colac.
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  • Scholarships and training: Provided the hospital’s clinical staff access to scholarships and short courses, supporting point of care ultrasound training, empowering staff to help improve patient experience and reduce their exposure to radiation.
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Thanks to our partnership with the Royal Children’s Hospital Good Friday Appeal, Barwon Health has enhanced the care we provide to children and their families, ensuring our Barwon South West community has access to local treatment and care,”

Francer Diver, Barwon Health Chief Executive.

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