A program designed to keep children out of hospital is giving families in New South Wales a new way to access care at home. The virtualKIDS Emergency Department Short Stay Unit, launched in March 2024, has already treated more than 100 young patients, with about 80 per cent recovering without needing to stay in hospital.
The program, developed through a collaboration between the Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network and hospital emergency departments, has now received an additional $500,000 in funding through the Translational Research Grants Scheme to expand its reach. The funding will introduce home monitoring devices that allow clinicians to track vital signs such as oxygen levels and heart rate remotely, ensuring children continue to receive close medical supervision from home.
For children with respiratory illnesses, this means they can recover in familiar surroundings while still being supported by medical teams. The staged rollout of the new monitoring system is expected to begin by December, with discussions underway about expanding the model to regional areas, including Dubbo.
The initiative forms part of the Minns Government’s wider approach to relieving pressure on hospitals and emergency departments by improving care options outside traditional hospital settings. The 2024–25 NSW Budget included a half-billion-dollar investment to create more pathways to care, improve patient flow and support the growing demand for timely medical services.
Families can access virtual care through the healthdirect service, where registered nurses assess the best care option for each situation. The service connects people to the right type of support — whether it’s self-care advice, a nearby GP, or access to a virtual consultation. Over the past year, an average of 178 callers a day were redirected from emergency departments to other suitable services, a 42 per cent increase on the previous year.
Health Minister Ryan Park said virtual programs like this one are helping to keep hospitals focused on patients who need urgent attention. He said the virtualKIDS unit has already helped more than 100 families avoid extended hospital stays while still receiving expert care at home. “This research funding will help expand the already successful service so we can continue to improve access to health care for everyone in NSW,” he said.
Minister for Medical Research David Harris said the initiative shows how medical research can lead to real-world change. “It’s particularly encouraging to see that this program is giving sick children access to state-of-the-art care in the comfort of their own home,” he said.
Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network Director of Research Adjunct Associate Professor Paula Bray said the approach allows care to be tailored to each family’s needs. “This program allows us to personalise care and improve outcomes while responding to the evolving healthcare needs of children in our state,” she said.
The virtualKIDS model offers a glimpse of how healthcare may evolve, balancing hospital resources with home-based care supported by technology. Its early results suggest that with the right safeguards and monitoring systems, more families can manage recovery at home safely while helping hospitals focus on the most critical cases.
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