Statewide Paediatric and Adolescent Remote Care (SPARC)

Who we are

Statewide Paediatric and Adolescent Remote Care (SPARC) is a dedicated service for children and young people aged 15 years and under with significant medical complexities who test positive to COVID-19.

It is a service managed by specialist staff at the Perth Children’s Hospital for the children of Western Australia.

SPARC is a referral only service and not a drop-in clinic. Only children and young people referred to the service by the WA Department of Health will be assessed and treated by the team.

Experienced paediatric nurses and doctors will virtually assess children with COVID-19 and offer support and medical advice to families in their own home.

This is done either via videoconference (telehealth) or over the phone.

Services we provide

The SPARC service gives COVID-19 children, young people and their carers direct access to experienced paediatric nurses and doctors at the PCH who can provide extra support to those who need it.

By receiving care and treatment at home, children can remain in isolation and avoid the stress that can sometimes be associated with visiting a hospital.

The SPARC team will monitor children regularly through a phone call or video call.

For children in regional or rural areas, the SPARC team will coordinate your child’s care with the most appropriate local service.

In few cases, a child may need to be admitted to hospital and the SPARC team will arrange this and then continue to look after the child if required once they are discharged.

If at any time you do not feel comfortable managing your child’s care at home, please inform SPARC during your initial consult or at any time during your care.

How to refer

Your child may be referred to this service by Department of Health (WA Health), who provide initial assessments for people who are diagnosed with COVID-19 when you record a COVID-19 positive test. This may happen when you are tested at a state COVID-19 testing clinic, or when self-registering a Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) result online.

You must opt in to COVID Care at Home when you register your child’s positive RAT test result. You will then be contacted for further information to find out which level of healthcare service is appropriate for your child’s needs.

If you have been referred to SPARC, you will be contacted and assessed by a paediatrician and an experienced nurse by videoconference or phone call.

The team will decide how often your child requires monitoring. This may be once a day or every or second day via a phone call or up to twice a day with a doctor and nurse via videoconference.

Hours

We provide 24/7 hour access to a clinician, if your child is a part of the program.

If you are worried about your child, call the number provided to you on admission to the SPARC COVID-19 service.

Emergencies

If you are concerned that your child has severe symptoms or is behaving unusually, get help straight away. If it is an emergency, call 000 for an ambulance or visit your nearest Emergency Department.

This advice is for children admitted to the SPARC COVID-19 program only.

If your child is not being treated by SPARC and you are concerned about their health, call HealthDirect Australia on 1800 022 222 for free health advice 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

If your child has a life-threatening medical emergency or condition call 000 and ask for an ambulance or go to the PCH Emergency Department.

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