Following a successful one-year pilot, Goulburn Valley (GV) Health has launched Victoria’s first public regional Children’s Allergy Clinic.
The permanent service operating out of GV Health’s Graham Street campus aims to improve access to allergy management services for children in regional Victoria.
GV Health’s Divisional Operations Director of Subacute and Ambulatory Care, Patricia Collier, said the launch of the Children’s Allergy Clinic was supported by the Victorian Department of Health and the Royal Children’s Hospital (RCH), which allowed for extensive staff training in management of paediatric allergic disorders.
“Grant funding from the Victorian Department of Health was provided to support a collaborative pilot project between RCH and GV Health for the establishment of a paediatric allergy clinic,
“Our paediatricians and nurses were given training by the RCH during the pilot period, which ran from May 2022 to May 2023. During this time, a total of 408 appointments were held in the clinic,
“The pilot was so successful that the Children’s Allergy Clinic has now become a permanent service at GV Health,” Ms Collier said.
The establishment of the Children’s Allergy Clinic at GV Health removes the travel burden for families who previously had to travel to Melbourne to access paediatric allergy services.
“Before our Children’s Allergy Clinic opened, children had to join a waiting list to be seen by allergy specialists in the city, therefore the establishment of the service at GV Health allows for children to be seen quicker and diagnosed and monitored more efficiently closer to home,” she said.
Dr Prasoon Goyadi has obtained a graduate certificate in Allergic Diseases and Master of Medicine (Allergic Diseases) and Dr Rachna Verma has a Diploma in Allergic Diseases.
To book an appointment at GV Health’s Children’s Allergy Clinic, please visit your GP to arrange a referral. For more information, visit the Children’s Allergy Clinic webpage.
