Complete Prince of Wales Children's Hospital Guide
Comprehensive navigation for parents accessing specialized pediatric care at POW Children's Hospital
🚨 Pediatric Emergency Triage Guide: When to Take Your Child to POW Children's ED
Decision flowchart to determine if Prince of Wales Children's Emergency is right for your child's situation
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• Not breathing/blue lips
• Unconscious
• Severe allergic reaction
• Major trauma
• Seizure not stopping
• Difficulty breathing
• Severe dehydration
• High fever in baby <3 months
• Severe pain
• Head injury with vomiting
• Persistent vomiting
• High fever >39°C
• Moderate injuries
• Severe earache
• Concerning rash
• Minor cuts/bruises
• Cold/flu symptoms
• Mild fever in older child
• Routine concerns
• Follow-up care
👶 Complete Pediatric Specialist Services Directory at POW Children's
Comprehensive guide to children's specialist departments, referral requirements, and family-friendly services
🔍 Pediatric Specialist Department Quick Reference
Pediatric Cardiology
Pediatric Neurology
Pediatric Orthopedics
Pediatric Oncology
NICU & Special Care
Child Mental Health
📋 Pediatric Referral Requirements & Process
✅ What You Need for Your Child
- • Valid GP or pediatrician referral letter
- • Child's Medicare card or private insurance details
- • Complete immunization records (Blue Book)
- • Previous test results and imaging
- • Current medication list and dosages
- • Parent/guardian photo ID
- • Comfort items (favorite toy, blanket)
⏰ Booking Process for Children
- 1. Get referral from your GP or pediatrician
- 2. Call specialist department directly
- 3. Provide child's details and Medicare number
- 4. Discuss any special needs or concerns
- 5. Choose appointment time (school hours available)
- 6. Receive confirmation and preparation instructions
⚖️ POW Children's vs Alternative Pediatric Care Options: When to Choose What
Evidence-based comparison to help you choose the right level of care for your child's medical needs
| Care Type | Best For | Wait Time | Cost | Dr Terry Advantage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
🚨POW Children's Emergency | Life-threatening conditions, severe injuries, breathing difficulties, high fever in infants | Immediate to 4 hours | Bulk billed (Medicare) | Can provide follow-up pediatric care at home post-discharge |
🏥POW Children's Specialists | Complex pediatric conditions, developmental issues, chronic diseases requiring specialist care | 2-8 weeks | Bulk billed or gap fees | Pre-appointment preparation and post-care coordination for families |
🏠Dr Terry Pediatric House Calls | Acute childhood illness, minor injuries, fever management, family-centered care | Same day to 48 hours | $250-350 (some Medicare rebate) | Child-friendly care in familiar environment, no hospital stress or exposure |
👨⚕️Pediatrician Clinic | Routine check-ups, immunizations, growth monitoring, chronic disease management | 1-14 days | Bulk billed or $80-150 | Can provide urgent pediatric house calls when pediatrician unavailable |
⚡Children's Urgent Care | Minor injuries, infections, moderate fever, non-life threatening concerns | 30 minutes to 2 hours | Bulk billed | Home alternative avoids waiting rooms and exposure to other sick children |
• Severe breathing difficulty
• High fever in baby <3 months
• Major trauma or injury
• Unconscious or seizure
• Child anxious about hospitals
• Avoiding exposure to other illnesses
• Family-centered assessment needed
• Multiple children unwell
• Surgical procedures required
• Ongoing specialist care
• Advanced pediatric testing
• Developmental assessments
👨👩👧👦 Family Experience: What to Expect at Prince of Wales Children's Hospital
Insider insights from an emergency medicine specialist on navigating your child's POW Children's visit successfully
Having worked with pediatric patients and referred many families to Prince of Wales Children's Hospital, I can share practical insights to help make your child's hospital experience as smooth and stress-free as possible.
🏥 Understanding the POW Children's System
Prince of Wales Children's Hospital is one of Sydney's leading pediatric facilities, specializing exclusively in children's healthcare. This means every doctor, nurse, and staff member is trained specifically in pediatric care, which makes a significant difference in both medical outcomes and family experience.
The hospital operates on a child-friendly triage system in the emergency department. Unlike adult hospitals, children's hospitals understand that kids express pain and illness differently, and the triage nurses are specially trained to assess pediatric patients. If your child is waiting, it means their condition isn't immediately life-threatening - which is reassuring.
🕐 Managing Wait Times with Children
Let's be realistic about wait times - they can be challenging when you have a sick or injured child. Here's what affects your wait and how to manage it:
- Time of day: Peak times are 6-10pm when working parents bring children after school/work
- Day of week: Weekends and Mondays see more injuries from sports and playground accidents
- Triage category: Children's hospitals prioritize differently - a high fever in a baby gets immediate attention
- Child's age: Infants under 3 months with fever are seen urgently regardless of other symptoms
For families with anxious children or those who struggle in hospital environments, a house call assessment can be invaluable. I can evaluate your child in their familiar environment and determine if hospital care is truly necessary, or if we can manage the problem safely at home.
🤝 Working with the Pediatric Medical Team
The doctors and nurses at POW Children's are excellent with kids, but here's how to get the best care for your child:
- Prepare your child: Explain in age-appropriate terms what will happen - "The doctor wants to listen to your chest with a special stethoscope"
- Bring comfort items: Favorite toy, blanket, or dummy can significantly reduce anxiety
- Stay calm yourself: Children pick up on parental anxiety - your calm presence is therapeutic
- Ask questions: Pediatric staff expect and welcome parent questions - you know your child best
- Advocate for your child: If something doesn't seem right, speak up - parental instinct is valuable clinical information
🏠 When to Consider Pediatric House Call Alternatives
As an emergency medicine specialist with pediatric experience, I believe children's hospitals are essential for serious conditions, but they're not always the best environment for every childhood illness. Consider a pediatric house call when:
- Your child has an acute illness but is alert and responsive (fever, vomiting, minor injuries)
- Multiple children in the family are unwell
- Your child has anxiety about hospitals or medical settings
- You want to avoid exposure to other illnesses in waiting rooms
- You need a comprehensive family assessment of multiple health concerns
I can provide the same level of clinical assessment at home, and if hospital care is needed, I'll arrange the appropriate referral with detailed handover information to expedite your child's care at POW Children's.
🔬 Pediatric Diagnostic Services & Testing at POW Children's
Complete guide to child-friendly imaging, pathology, and specialized testing designed specifically for children
🏥 Child-Friendly Diagnostic Capabilities
Prince of Wales Children's Hospital houses specialized pediatric diagnostic equipment designed specifically for children. As a doctor who regularly orders these tests for young patients, I can guide you through what's available and how to prepare your child.
📸 Pediatric Medical Imaging Services
🔍 Pediatric CT Scans
- • Child-sized equipment with lower radiation
- • Sedation available for anxious children
- • Parent can stay with child during scan
- • Specialized pediatric radiologists
- • Same-day reporting for urgent cases
🧲 Pediatric MRI Scans
- • Child-friendly MRI suite with colorful themes
- • Sedation or general anesthetic available
- • Specialized pediatric sequences
- • Music and entertainment during scan
- • Parent support throughout process
📡 Pediatric Ultrasound
- • No radiation - completely safe for children
- • Real-time imaging for parents to see
- • Specialized pediatric probes
- • Hip, kidney, and heart ultrasounds
- • No preparation required for most scans
📱 X-rays & Fluoroscopy
- • Digital X-rays with minimal radiation
- • Specialized pediatric positioning
- • Parent can hold child during X-ray
- • Immediate results available
- • Fracture and chest X-ray specialists
🧪 Pediatric Pathology and Laboratory Services
POW Children's pathology services operate 24/7 for emergency cases, with specialized pediatric testing:
🩸 Pediatric Blood Tests
- • Specialized pediatric collection tubes
- • Trained pediatric phlebotomists
- • Topical anesthetic available
- • Parent can hold child during collection
- • Age-specific reference ranges
🦠 Pediatric Microbiology
- • Rapid strep and flu testing
- • Specialized pediatric cultures
- • Respiratory virus panels
- • Antibiotic sensitivity for children
- • Whooping cough and RSV testing
🧬 Genetic Testing
- • Chromosomal analysis
- • Metabolic disorder screening
- • Developmental delay investigations
- • Family genetic counseling
- • Newborn screening follow-up
⚡ Specialized Pediatric Testing Centers
POW Children's also houses several specialized diagnostic units designed for children:
- Pediatric Cardiology Lab: Echocardiograms and heart function tests for children
- Pediatric Sleep Studies: Overnight sleep monitoring in child-friendly rooms
- Neurophysiology: EEG, nerve studies designed for pediatric patients
- Pulmonary Function Lab: Breathing tests adapted for different ages
- Audiology: Hearing tests from newborn to adolescent
🏠 Pediatric House Call Advantage for Test Coordination
While POW Children's has excellent pediatric diagnostic capabilities, navigating the system with a sick child can be stressful. During a pediatric house call, I can:
- Assess your child in their comfortable environment without hospital anxiety
- Determine which tests are most appropriate for your child's age and condition
- Provide detailed referrals to expedite testing at POW Children's
- Coordinate multiple tests to minimize hospital visits for your family
- Interpret results in the context of your child's overall health and development
- Arrange follow-up care that works with your family's schedule
This family-centered approach often results in faster diagnosis, more targeted testing, and significantly less stress for both children and parents.
Complete Prince of Wales Children's Hospital Guide
Comprehensive navigation for parents accessing specialized pediatric care at POW Children's Hospital
