Admission, discharge and return transfer process for paediatric intensive care units

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Published: October 2022. Next review: 2027.

This document describes the role of the paediatric intensive care unit (PICU) in supporting the principle that children receive the right care at the right place and at the right time, as close to home as possible. This process includes:

  • transfer to the hospital of origin or transfer of care closer to home, when medically appropriate
  • transfers of care closer to home that is planned in collaboration with the child’s family and local clinical teams
  • transfers generally will be undertaken by the Newborn and Paediatric Emergency Transport Service (NETS).

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Admission, discharge and return transfer process for paediatric intensive care units

At a glance

When a child or neonate requires transfer, NETS and retrieval services use the statewide bed availability platform as a matrix to view available PICU beds in the state. In collaboration with the receiving site, NETS or the retrieval service will decide on the most appropriate PICU bed based on:

  • location
  • capability
  • capacity, including the need for cross border transfer.
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