Make A Difference

From Batemans Bay to Neutral Bay, from Griffith to Armidale, children from across New South Wales turn to the expertise of The Children's Hospital at Westmead for help. Whilst hospitals in rural and regional centres do much to assist the health of our children, the very sickest children find the solutions at The Children's Hospital at Westmead.

People everywhere know of a child whose life has been saved or enhanced by the medical provisions of the Hospital. Be it cancer or cardiac patients, the state's worst trauma victims or children desperately in need of a liver or kidney transplant - we provide the care and treatment they need.

What makes The Children's Hospital at Westmead different? It is the only stand-alone children's hospital in Australia. It was built with the complete welfare of children and families in mind. It provides a total healing environment that looks after the whole child - their medical needs, entertainment, accommodation for parents and attractive surroundings.

It is the only hospital in NSW to provide care for children with severe burns, with major heart problems or those in need of a liver transplant. It is also the only provider of certain types of kidney dialysis.

The Hospital is home to the Australian Centre for Immunisation Research. This is a vital service for children across Australia, not only making a difference now but also preparing for a better future.

Research carried out at the Hospital makes a difference to the clinical care of children now and will mean great advances in the future. The Hospital is a leader in oncology research and also houses the country's first paediatric tumour bank. The tumour bank has implications for research across the world as we strive to develop better treatments for childhood cancer and hopefully, one day, a cure. Research into gene therapy at the Hospital has huge potential as we move into the twenty-first century.

Telemedicine at The Children's Hospital at Westmead means that hundreds of children in NSW can now benefit from the expertise of specialists without making the journey to Sydney. This not only improves accessibility to services, it also increases the number of patients that can be treated and reduces the cost so funds can be used to further enhance paediatric care.

What's more, did you know that every baby born in New South Wales is screened for a number of illnesses within days of birth by The NSW Newborn Screening Program based at The Children's Hospital at Westmead? Newborn screening has been a feature of Australian paediatric care for many years and has made an enormous difference to the lives of so many children. At The Children's Hospital at Westmead, we are now able to screen babies for over 40 disorders, further enhancing our care of the state's children.