Canberra finally gets a dedicated kids’ healthcare hub: we go inside the Paediatric Practice
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For years, Canberra families had to travel to Sydney or wait months in a public hospital queue just to get answers about their child’s digestive health. That’s now changed with the opening of The Paediatric Practice.
A holistic healthcare hub located in the heart of Deakin, since it first opened its books in January of this year, has already changed the lives of hundreds of local families, providing them with the answers – and relief – they’ve been searching for.
It’s also home to the only privately practising paediatric gastroenterologist in Canberra – founder Dr Joe Meredith.
Since moving to Canberra, Dr Joe has diagnosed and treated hundreds of local kids with coeliac disease, Crohn’s disease, colitis, liver disease, constipation, and cow’s milk protein allergies.
He says that the demand for his services has been staggering.
“There’s a big demand,” he says.
“There are lots of gastrointestinal conditions in children that kids previously had to travel to Sydney for because they weren’t able to get endoscopies at the hospital done because of the very long wait at The Canberra Hospital.”
With many families waiting over a year for necessary tests and treatments for their children – even if they are severely sick – since opening the Paediatric Practice, Dr Joe has been able to get children scoped, diagnosed and treated within weeks.
For many families, it’s life-changing – and it’s just the beginning of the services the Paediatric Practice will offer.
Your child’s complete care – from GP to specialist – under one roof
Alongside Dr Joe, the practice is home to two general paediatricians, a paediatric endocrinologist and two child specialist GPs. The clinic offers support in the form of behavioural development and assessments, digestive and gastrointestinal management, and the diagnosis and rapid treatment of any medical problems affecting children
According to Dr Joe, it’s about less reliance on the hospital system and more about creating a space where families can find everything they need. The new GP service focused only on kids will allow for parents to see everyone under the one roof.
“Our new dietitian will also manage the entire range of paediatric dietary concerns,” he explains.
“We also have a nurse practitioner starting and we have two GPs, which is a unique service for patients.”
The clinic includes a procedure room for in-house treatments — including biologic, B12 and iron infusions — with the goal of becoming a true holistic healthcare hub.
From supporting kids and teens who are struggling with their weight to conducting assessments of ADHD, autism and behavioural concerns, Dr Joe wants to make it easy for families to get the coordinated care they need, all in one welcoming place.
“It’s integrating that care a bit more and providing that specialist paediatric care even at that GP level, which isn’t really available anywhere else,” he says.
“Soon, we’ll have a child psychologist as well. That’s a big part of what the general paediatricians are managing – lots of neurodevelopmental and behavioural issues, and anxiety that’s feeding into their medical problems or going the other way.”
Together with Dr Michael Rosier, Dr Ibrahim Youssef, Dr Tony Lafferty, Dr Goldie Snoke and Dr Chris Gilbert, Dr Joe has built a complete end-to-end service.
Another important aspect of the Paediatric Practice is the space itself.
The clinic itself is calm, modern and welcoming – designed, Dr Joe says, with the whole family in mind.
Instead of brightly coloured plastic toys scattered on the floor, books and soft toys sit in a hidden nook for children to play with. Accents of green, brown and grey bring a sense of serenity, and there is also plenty of greenery, with plants scattered throughout the space and large windows overlooking the leafy suburb.
“Ultimately, it’s about having somewhere that’s comfortable for kids with neurodevelopmental issues,” explains Dr Joe.
“Going to the doctors is super stressful, and we’re trying to dampen that down with a nice, natural space.”
Able to expedite care, get early diagnosis, prevent trips to the hospital and remove wait times to see general paediatricians, Dr Joe is proud of how the Paediatric Practice has been improving the quality of life for many families.
He says it’s something that Canberra has needed for a long time.
“It makes a huge difference.”
The Paediatric Practice’s books are now open for new patients aged 18 and under.
For more information visit thepaediatricpractice.com.au or call (02) 5137 3630.
