For the first time in the Good Friday Appeal’s history, funding will be distributed to paediatric health services outside of The Royal Children’s Hospital (RCH) to increase the number of children and young people who can receive high quality care closer to their home, making the pathway to specialist care easier.

Photo by David Caird, Herald Sun

We know that the RCH holds a special place in the hearts of generations of Victorians, and many people across the state have made longstanding contributions to the Good Friday Appeal. That is why we are committed to extending our care beyond the four walls of our hospital, building to improve the health outcomes of children all over Victoria.

CEO of The Royal Children’s Hospital, Bernadette McDonald is delighted the Good Friday Appeal has chosen to share the funds with the hospital’s regional partners this year.

“With this funding we can support even more patients and families with this fantastic initiative to strengthen our regional health service partners. This announcement recognises the diverse and broad range of communities who have supported the Appeal over its 93 year history.

“It also highlights the importance in ensuring all health services are supported to deliver care to children and young people in Victoria -– because every family, in every community deserves the highest quality care.”

A key goal of the RCH is to create a truly integrated paediatric service system, where health services learn from each other and share expertise. This new regional funding plays a critical role in building the capability and capacity of health services across the state, because Parkville is a long way from Penshurst or Paynesville – and we want every child and family to receive the best possible care.

In 2024, five health services from major Victorian regional hubs will benefit from the Appeal’s fundraising efforts. Barwon Health, Grampians Health, Bendigo Health, Goulburn Valley Health and Latrobe Regional Health will each receive approximately $500,000 in grants that will be administered by the RCH Foundation. From nursing scholarships to capital expenditure, this investment will go some way to strengthening these services and their delivery of care to children, young people, and families living in regional and rural Victoria.

The Good Friday Appeal’s goal going forward is to build on this initiative and identify other Victorian health services that would benefit from the Appeal’s fundraising in future years. The objective is to make this a successful and continuing part of the Appeal.

For more information: Good Friday Appeal to expand to Victoria’s regional hospitals | Good Friday Appeal