Connected Care works with families, caregivers and health care teams to improve communication and coordination of care, across services, specialists and facilities needed.

Services

Our services are additional to the services your child gets through your local hospital and health service. We’ll work closely with them to make sure your child gets the healthcare they need.

Our Connected Care Program:

• is a central point of contact for you
• helps you and your child access the services they need including coordinating appointments
• will develop a care plan for your child if they need one
• links your child's health care teams with each other, including their GP, private health providers and services, school and allied health professionals
• supports you to manage your child’s healthcare needs
• makes sure you understand your child’s healthcare needs, so you can make informed decisions about their health.

We work with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Complex and Chronic Disease team to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and their families to understand:

• their health conditions
• treatments they need.

Our team help families from rural and remote areas of Queensland access services in Brisbane. We also work with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander support services and link you in with our Senior Indigenous Health Coordinator who can assist with supporting your families needs.

Locations

We have Connected Care Program services in:

• Brisbane
• Bundaberg
• Cairns
• Gold Coast
• Hervey Bay
• Ipswich
• Mackay
• Mount Isa
• Rockhampton
• Sunshine Coast
• Toowoomba
• Townsville.

The role of parents and carers

There are some things you can do to help us make sure your child gets the best possible healthcare.

It's important to:

• work with us and your child’s lead medical specialist
• contact us if your child needs medical help
• help us create a care plan for if they need one
• work with your local health care team as you child becomes a young adult to support their growing independence.

Who can use this service?

Children and young people aged 16 and under with complex healthcare needs who live in Queensland and northern New South Wales can use this service.

We also work with young people aged 17 and 18 to help them transition to adult health services.

How to use this service

You need a referral from one of the following to use this service:

• a GP or paediatric specialist
• a senior nurse
• a senior allied health professional.

If you feel you no longer need our support, you can ask us to discharge you from the service. If you need support in the future, you’ll to get a referral again.

Contact the team

You can contact the Connected Care team on 07 3068 2273 or at connect-care4kids@health.qld.gov.au.

Our hours are Monday to Friday, 8 am to 4 pm.