THE ACT Government will introduce a Child and Adolescent Clinical Services Expert Panel to “improve healthcare services for children.”

It comes as the government continues to face intense public scrutiny after a recent report revealed the deaths of two children who presented at the emergency department of Canberra Hospital.

The Canberra Liberals have also heaved criticism on the government, today putting forward a motion in the Legislative Assembly calling for immediate action for sick or rapidly deteriorating children.

According to Health Minister Rachel Stephen-Smith, the new “expert panel” will be engaged to oversee the finalisation of the Child and Adolescent Clinical Services Plan.

The plan is an eight-year roadmap for improving the way health services work together in the ACT and is set to identify priorities for “developing and redesigning the ACT’s public health services”.

“We understand that families, carers and the wider community want to know how we are addressing the clinical service needs of Canberra’s children and young people,” said Stephen-Smith.

“The Expert Panel will bring further transparency and accountability to this work by sharing information with the community as we progress.”

Stephen-Smith said the panel will focus on bringing together actions and recommendations from recent reviews to ensure ACT health services are “delivering high-quality care,” and planning for the future needs of children, adolescents and their families.

The panel is set to be led by an independent chair and include experts with clinical expertise in paediatrics, a consumer representative, academics and key stakeholders, and will engage with consumers, health care specialists, children’s service networks, non-government organisations and ACT Government agencies involved in the care of children and adolescents.

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