About SUSTAIN
Strengthening paediatric primary care in NSW.
The SUSTAIN Virtual Paediatrician Support Service is an online integrated GP-paediatrician care model designed to strengthen and sustain paediatric primary care in NSW and reduce unnecessary hospital referrals.
The online support provided to NSW general practitioners includes:
- virtual GP-paediatrician co-consultations
- weekday phone and email support
- twice-weekly online case discussions.
Register your details in the form below.
Aims and benefits
What is the issue for NSW?
Within NSW, referrals to the Sydney Children's Hospitals Network (SCHN) increased by 26% over the past 3 years, with waiting times for many conditions up to 6-18 months. Increases in hospital use are unsustainable.
Strengthening capacity of healthcare workers at all levels in paediatric care, is an identified priority in the Henry Review of health services for children, young people and families within the NSW Health system. The report recommends upskilling the primary care workforce to improve care pathways especially for children with behavioural, mental health, and developmental disorders.
What is SUSTAIN?
SUSTAIN was adapted from the Strengthening Care for Children (SC4C), an Australian, multi-state trial of an integrated GP-paediatrician care model designed to improve GP quality of care, reduce burden to hospital services, and ensure children receive the right care, at the right time, closer to home.
Following a successful pilot study in 2018 with five Victorian general practices, the SC4C model was funded through a National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) partnership grant, and implemented in 21 metropolitan general practice clinics across Melbourne and Sydney between 2021 and 2023.
To date, the SC4C trial has delivered over 2,000 GP-paediatrician co-consultations with paediatric patients. Preliminary data show that the model reduces GP referrals to hospital services, enhances GP quality of care, improves GP confidence in paediatric care, and strengthens family trust in the GP.
The SUSTAIN Virtual Paediatrician Support Service is an extension of the SC4C trial.
The SUSTAIN Virtual Paediatrician Support Service aims to:
- enhance GP knowledge, skills and confidence in the management of common paediatric conditions
- reduce unnecessary referrals to hospital emergency departments and outpatient clinics for children and young people
- provide GPs with an opportunity to contribute to and influence an emerging evidence-based model of care
- enhance the quality of care for children by fostering GP-paediatrician collaboration, leading to improved child health outcomes
- improve family trust in and preference for GP care
- reduce the burden on families (of having to seek, wait for, travel to and pay for specialist paediatric care outside of general practice).
At a glance
Book a 30-minute co-consultation with a Paediatrician to discuss the management of conditions in children presenting to your practice.
The meeting can be conducted with or without the patient present.
This service is available from Monday to Friday, 8:30am - 5:00pm AEDT/AEST.
Join our weekly Lunch 'n' Learn sessions, led by our SUSTAIN Paediatrician.
These interactive sessions provide an opportunity to discuss cases, receive timely paediatrician advice, and gain helpful resources in a shared learning environment.
We support ongoing professional development and networking opportunities, including education and training in paediatric care.
General practitioners accessing our SUSTAIN service will receive an invitation to our annual conference, Practical Paediatrics for the General Practitioner Weekend, and access to live webinars throughout the calendar year.
This is a free service, offered to general practitioners currently practising in New South Wales.
You can access the service as many times as you wish.
Khano S, Sanci L, Woolfenden S, Zurynski Y, Dalziel K, Liaw ST, et al. Strengthening Care for Children (SC4C): protocol for a stepped wedge cluster randomised controlled trial of an integrated general practitioner-paediatrician model of primary care. BMJ Open. 2022 Sep;12(9):e063449.
Hodgins M, Zurynski Y, Burley J, Pelly R, Hibbert P, Woolfenden S, et al. Protocol for the implementation evaluation of an integrated paediatric and primary care model: Strengthening Care for Children (SC4C). 2022 Sep 1;12(9):e063450–0.
Crespo-Gonzalez C, Hodgins M, Zurynski Y, Tammy Meyers Morris, Le J, Wheeler K, et al. Advancing integrated paediatric care in Australian general practices: Qualitative insights from the SC4C GP-paediatrician model of care. PloS one. 2024 May 21;19(5):e0302815–5.
Hiscock H, Khano S, Sanci L, Moore C, Dalziel K, Freed G, et al. Paediatric care in general practice: Case mix, referral patterns and healthcare costs. Australian Journal of General Practice. 2025 Jun 1;54(6):347–55.
Morris TM, Sanci L, Rudkin A, Moore C, Dalziel K, Liaw ST, et al. Intervention overuse in paediatric care in Australian metropolitan general practice. Australian Journal of General Practice. 2025 Jun 1;54(6):378–86.
Hodgins M, Sohn J, Crespo-Gonzalez C, Morris T, Zurynski Y, Khano S, et al. Reterritorialising paediatric care in general practice clinics through a GP-paediatrician integrated care model. SSM - Qualitative Research in Health. 2025 Jun 27;8:100595–5.
Lingam R, Hiscock H, Khano S, Murphy JB, Wheeler K, Tuttle A, et al. Strengthening Care for Rural Children (SC4RC): study protocol for a stepped-wedge translational trial of an integrated general practitioner–paediatrician model of primary care in regional Victoria and New South Wales. Trials. 2025 Dec 17.
Send us an email at sustain@schneducation.com.au or call 02 9933 8600.
Get started
Register your details to access the SUSTAIN integrated GP-Paediatrician model of care.
This service is delivered by the Education Hub team at the Sydney Children's Hospitals Network.