Australia’s first paediatric palliative care clinical guidelines bridge knowledge gaps

An article written by Sarah Vercoe, Freelance Health Writer on behalf of Palliative Care Australia

When caring for a child with a life-limiting condition, many health professionals find themselves questioning whether their adult palliative care knowledge truly applies. Managing breathlessness in an eight-year-old presents different challenges compared to adult patients, and families often look to healthcare providers for guidance that feels specifically relevant to their child’s needs and situation.

This experience is far from uncommon. Around 30,000 Australian children and young people are living with life-limiting conditions, yet many health professionals report feeling unprepared to provide appropriate palliative care. The reality is paediatric palliative care isn't simply scaled-down adult care; it requires different approaches to pain management, communication, and family-centred care.

This knowledge gap has been a real concern for health professionals who don’t specialise in paediatric palliative care and it's precisely what Australia's first national Paediatric Palliative Care Clinical Guidelines are designed to address.

Addressing critical knowledge gaps

Rather than attempting to cover all clinical care needs, these guidelines focus on three areas where health professionals consistently identify the greatest need for support: managing agitation, managing breathlessness, and sharing significant news with children and families.

These weren't arbitrary choices. The topics came directly from extensive consultations with frontline professionals, including community nurses, junior hospital staff, and non-specialist palliative care teams who don’t regularly find themselves caring for children without specialist paediatric training.

What's particularly valuable is that each guideline provides practical, step-by-step strategies you can implement immediately. They take complex paediatric-specific principles and translate them into clear guidance that makes sense during those high-pressure moments when families need compassionate, confident care.

Built with families

What makes these guidelines stand out is their development approach. Consumer co-design was central to the entire process, with families who have lived through paediatric palliative care contributing their insights every step of the way.

This means the guidelines aren't just clinically sound, they're grounded in the real experiences of families who have navigated these incredibly challenging situations. It's this combination of evidence-based practice and lived experience that gives these guidelines their practical edge.

The development represents a strategic collaboration between Australia and New Zealand, adapting existing evidence-based approaches for our healthcare context. Rather than developing resources from scratch, this partnership created internationally informed guidance that functions within existing systems.

Supporting confident care

In paediatric palliative care, feeling confident in your approach is just as important as clinical competence. These guidelines aren't designed to replace clinical judgement, but they do provide that evidence-based framework that helps you make informed decisions when children and families need you most.

For health professionals who only occasionally care for paediatric patients, having access to clear, practical guidance can make the difference between feeling out of your depth and being able to provide quality, family-centred care that truly meets what children and families need.

Access and implementation

The guidelines are available through the Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne's Clinical Practice Guidelines platform via the Paediatric Improvement Collaborative. The platform is designed for point-of-care use, enabling access to guidance when and where it is most needed.

For community nurses, non-specialist palliative care teams, and health professionals caring for children with life-limiting conditions across various settings, these guidelines represent a significant advancement in ensuring every child receives appropriate, compassionate care from well-supported health professionals.

The Paediatric Palliative Care Clinical Guidelines are available through the Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne ‘Clinical Practice Guidelines’.

For more information about paediatric palliative care resources and support, visit https://paediatricpalliativecare.org.au/ or contact Palliative Care Australia: paediatrics@palliativecare.org.au

Author

Sarah Vercoe

Freelance Health Writer

on behalf of Palliative Care Australia