Research partnerships bringing paediatric care closer to home
general practices participated in the Strengthening Care for Rural Children project
GP-paediatrician co-consultations delivered during the project
collaborative research projects exploring integrated paediatric care and ways to strengthen regional primary healthcare
Two research collaborations between MPHN and the Population Child Health team at UNSW are exploring how children in regional communities can access more specialised care through their local general practice.
The projects focus on strengthening primary care capability, improving connections between health professionals and reducing unnecessary referrals to specialist services, where regional families can face lengthy waits and significant travel and cost.
During 2025-2026, the Strengthening Care for Rural Children project brought local paediatricians into 10 general practices across Wagga Wagga, Young, Coolamon and Temora. The paediatricians worked alongside GPs, attending GP-led co-consultations with families to provide support and guidance for the GP around a wide range of paediatric presentations.
The intervention ran for 11 months in each practice, with the last practice concluding its intervention period in May 2026. The results are now being analysed. Early feedback from participating GPs suggests increased confidence in managing common childhood health concerns.
The UNSW Population Child Health team is also evaluating the Enhancing Paediatrics in Primary Care (EPiPC) program, an existing multidisciplinary model bringing together GPs, community paediatricians and allied health professionals. Research agreements and ethics approvals were completed during 2025-26, establishing the foundations for a comprehensive evaluation and potential improvements to the model.
Susan Bullock, Research Officer and Project Manager with the regional arm of the Population Child Health team, says the research is particularly important in a region where developmental vulnerability among preschool children is higher than state and national averages, and access to specialist services can be limited.
"This is a ‘double whammy’ for regional families," Ms Bullock said. "There is a real need for paediatric healthcare, and that becomes worse because people can’t access it locally. By building the capacity of general practice to manage more common childhood health concerns, the research aims to help families access care closer to home, while freeing up specialist services for children who need them most."
Ms Bullock said MPHN's local relationships have been instrumental to both projects.
"When a largely metropolitan-based research team comes into a regional area, having people on the ground who know the community and have established relationships is essential. MPHN has played a really important role in facilitating those connections and helping us work with local practices, and that has made a real difference to the research."
As findings emerge, UNSW and MPHN will work together to translate the research into practical improvements for children, families and healthcare providers across the Murrumbidgee.