The Children's Hospital at Westmead

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The Children's Hospital at Westmead

The Children's Hospital at Westmead is the largest paediatric centre for care and treatment in NSW, providing specialised treatment to sick children.
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Social Media Policy

The Children’s Hospital at Westmead’s social media accounts are aligned with the Hospital’s key values and are focused on engaging audiences in conveying health messages and information regarding activities (including entertainment) as well as for fundraising purposes. We welcome and encourage our followers to engage with this page and content we share through open discussion, questions and feedback but ask that posts by users are relevant and respectful. Content on this page is monitored by The Children’s Hospital at Westmead staff, and we reserve the right to remove posts that are:

• Offensive, divisive, aggressive, abusive, defamatory or intolerant
• Fraudulent, deceptive, misleading or unlawful
• Trolling, or deliberately derailing discussions
• Off-topic or business-related
• Violates the intellectual property right of another individual or entity
• Spamming in nature
• Commercial solicitation or solicitation of donations
• Uses obscene or offensive language

For further details, please read The Children’s Hospital at Westmead’s social media policy. Available athttp://www.schn.health.nsw.gov.au/_policies/pdf/2015-9000.pdf

17/03/2026

Counting down the days to the Sydney Royal Easter Show, fifty kids from across our hospitals took on an extremely important mission🕵🏻‍♀️

Their task?
✔ Spot every tiny detail
✔ Have as much fun as possible
✔ Keep their hands free… to carry home plenty of goodies!

As official showbag testers, these trusty VIPs sampled all 421 showbags from favourite TV shows to sports teams to the yummiest treats🎒🐰

The verdict? Big thumbs up, happy hearts, and lots of beaming smiles ✨

12/03/2026

The Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network (SCHN) has resolved its technical issues affecting phone lines and internet connectivity across its hospitals.

During this time, emergency and outpatient departments continued to operate at both sites.

While we have been working hard to minimise disruption to patient care, several planned procedures across SCHN are being rescheduled since the outage commenced yesterday afternoon.

We have apologised to these patients and their families for the delays, and are in communication with them.

Staff are currently working to determine how telehealth appointments were affected by the outage, and will reschedule any that have been identified.

If you are in a life-threatening situation, call 000. If you require non-emergency health advice you can call Healthdirect on 1800 022 222.

11/03/2026

The Children's Hospital at Westmead is experiencing issues with phone lines into the hospital. If you need information about a patient in our care please visit us in person at Hawkesbury Road Westmead.

There is no impact on patient care and contingency processes are in place.

The emergency department remains open and patients can still attend to receive care.

If there are any changes to scheduled appointments, the hospital is endeavouring to contact all affected families directly.

You can still call the Sydney Children’s Hospital, Randwick on 9382 1111 and we will provide an update as soon as phone services at The Children’s Hospital at Westmead are restored.

We appreciate the patience and understanding of patients, families, and the community while we work to resolve the issue.

Please remember if you are in a life threatening situation call 000. If you require non-emergency health advice you can call Healthdirect on 1800 022 222.

10/03/2026

Whooping cough cases in Australia peaked for the first time in more than 35 years, with thousands of infections in NSW alone.

Plummeting vaccination rates and fading immunity are to blame, according to experts.

What is whooping cough? Also known as ‘Pertussis’, Whooping cough is a highly contagious respiratory illness that causes severe coughing fits for weeks. Babies under 6 months are at high risk because they are too young to be vaccinated 👶.

How can keep your little ones protected?
✔ Vaccinate during every pregnancy
✔ Keep your child’s immunisations up to date
✔ Make sure carers of young children, including grandparents, are protected too

If you’re unsure whether your family is up to date, speak with your GP 👩‍⚕️👨‍⚕️

Learn more about whooping cough symptoms, treatment, and how to protect your child on the Kids Health Hub. Link in comments below.

07/03/2026

CHAMPIONS4CHILDREN I “As a paediatric oncologist specialising in blood transplant and cell therapy, my work focuses on caring for children who require stem cell transplants for conditions such as leukaemia, thalassaemia, immune deficiencies, and metabolic diseases.

Paediatric stem cell transplantation replaces a child’s unhealthy bone marrow with healthy donor stem cells. It is one of the most intensive treatments in medicine, but it can also offer the possibility of cure.

Every transplant represents an extraordinary collective effort from children and families, stem cell donors and dedicated teams of medical, nursing, laboratory and allied health professionals who support them.

Some of the most memorable moments in my work are seeing children return to the long-term follow-up clinic – healthy and living their lives after transplant.

Today is both a celebration of the achievements of women around the world and a call to continue working towards gender parity. I am deeply grateful for the many women who have inspired and supported me throughout my career, many of whom I have the privilege of working alongside every day.” - Madeleine Powys, Consultant in Blood Transplant and Cell Therapy.

This International Women’s Day, we celebrate the incredible women across our Network, and women everywhere, whose contributions continue to shape a better future.

06/03/2026

Champions4Children | Dr Iain Perkes is a consultant child and adolescent psychiatrist who played a key role in establishing the OCD BOUNCE clinical team.

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) affects around 1 in 30 Australians, or about 750,000 people. Through OCD BOUNCE, Iain and the clinical team provide specialised care for some of the most complex cases of paediatric OCD, while also building capacity in community mental health services through education and training.

“There are several elements to my role,” Iain explains. “I assess severe and complex cases of paediatric OCD alongside a team of exceptional clinical psychologists. We spend time with families and young people understanding how OCD is affecting their lives and then develop tailored recommendations.”

The team also works closely with community mental health services to deliver intensive cognitive behavioural therapy and facilitate complex case discussions with clinicians, helping strengthen knowledge and improve care.

“I love working in paediatrics because, if I’m honest, it’s fun. Children and young people bring such joy, curiosity and wonder. What I find most rewarding is seeing the impact treatment can have — whether it’s a young person returning to school or reconnecting with friends. It’s a privilege to be part of that transformation.”

One young patient, Rosalee, developed OCD after the passing of her grandpa. Once an outgoing student and school captain, she began experiencing severe contamination fears that made attending school distressing. After her condition remained unchanged despite seeking support elsewhere, Rosalee was referred to the OCD BOUNCE program. Following six weeks of intensive support, she gained a deeper understanding of OCD and the confidence to manage the challenges ahead.

Her mother, Brielle, says Rosalee is not ashamed of her condition and hopes to advocate for others facing similar struggles.

“Seeing Rosalee recognise the impact of the program and feel motivated to share that message with others was incredibly powerful,” says Iain. “That was a real standout moment.”

04/03/2026

🤧 Flu season is almost here and we know that means more sick little ones at home.

When your child wakes up with a sore throat, runny nose or fever, it’s tempting to think: “Do they need antibiotics?”

But here's the truth: Colds and the flu are caused by viruses, and antibiotics only work against bacteria. That means antibiotics won’t help your child recover from a viral infection.

So what will help them feel better?

⏳ Rest. Give their body time to fight the infection.
💧 Fluids. Keep them well hydrated.
🌡️ Pain & fever relief if needed (ask us if you’re unsure what’s suitable).

Most children start to improve within a few days. However, if symptoms are severe, getting worse, or not improving, it’s important to seek medical advice 👩‍⚕️.

03/03/2026

Today is World Hearing Day 👂

It’s a reminder of how important hearing is for children to connect, communicate and participate fully in the world around them.

At the Sydney Children's Hospital Network, our Audiology and hearing services teams work together to ensure every child has the opportunity to grow, learn and thrive. We recognise the dedicated professionals who support children with hearing loss and their families every day, providing family-centred, equitable and culturally respectful care.

Hearing loss can develop at any age, so ongoing monitoring is important. Early detection and intervention can make a significant difference.

If you notice any of the following signs, it’s worth speaking with your GP about your child’s hearing:
- seems to “miss” sounds
- has frequent ear infections
- turns up the volume on devices
- asks for you to repeat things often
- feels overwhelmed in noisy environments

Your GP can advise on the next steps, including referral to appropriate local hearing services.

A simple hearing check could make a world of difference.

02/03/2026

🤕 A playground tumble can turn fun into a worry, but thankfully instant health advice is just a call away.

📞 If your child needs non-urgent medical assistance, call Healthdirect for free on 1800 022 222, anytime of day or night. A registered nurse will help connect you to the right place so your child can get the care they need.

28/02/2026

Happy Mardi Gras 🌈

This Mardi Gras, we celebrate diversity and proudly champion inclusion and belonging across our community.

To find out more, visit, https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/lgbtiq-health

27/02/2026

When Abel was born at just 32 weeks and five days, he was critically unwell and doctors were still working to understand how best to help him.

But rapid genomic testing uncovered a diagnosis that may otherwise have taken years to figure out.

Abel was diagnosed with Cantu syndrome - a very rare genetic condition. For his family, having a diagnosis brought relief. That early recognition opened the door to an experimental therapy that has helped change his future.

In his early years Abel required complex medical support, but today he is eight and is embracing childhood – he loves comics, bike riding and tennis, and proudly takes on his role as big brother to his sister, Ebony.

The impact of his treatment has been significant.

“Sharing stories like Abel’s helps people see what’s possible - and how much hope there is,” his mum, Melanie said.

Access to rapid genomic testing is helping more families receive answers sooner – informing treatment and opening the door to therapies that may not otherwise have been considered.

On Rare Disease Day, we support families, like Abel’s to help navigate the unknown, to ensure every child, no matter how rare their condition, can thrive.

To read Abel’s story, visit, https://www.schn.health.nsw.gov.au/articles/2026/02/abels-rare-journey

26/02/2026

Big things are coming for children’s healthcare in Western Sydney.

More than 350 families, staff and supporters recently came together for a first look inside our new 14-storey hospital building.

Visitors explored bright, modern clinical spaces, joined in interactive activities, and saw how their ideas and lived experience have helped shape the new environments.

After more than five years of planning, designing and building, we’re on the final stretch towards opening. Teams are completing testing and training programs as we get ready to welcome patients in the months ahead.

Address

Cnr Hawkesbury Road And Hainsworth St
Greystanes, NSW
2145

Website

http://schn.health.nsw.gov.au/

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