The Hospital-in-the-Home program (Wallaby) allows your child to be cared for at home by The Royal children’s Hospital (RCH) medical, nursing and allied health staff. By transferring to Wallaby, your child can complete their inpatient treatment at home.

Wallaby is a 61 bed ward, in which medically stable children requiring daily/twice daily acute care interventions can complete their admission at home. Whilst at home, children are visited and cared for by a team of qualified RCH nurses, medical and allied health staff who communicate regularly with the child's primary treating medical unit.

The aim for the Wallaby ward is to reduce the anxiety for the child and family by treating them in their own environment where there is less disruption to daily routine.

Examples of care provided by the Wallaby team are (with a fuller list with guidelines on the Clinical Service and Resources page):

• ambulatory blood pressure monitoring
• central vascular catheter and port care
• chemotherapy
• daily dressings
• daily or twice daily intravenous antibiotics
• diabetes care
• eczema care
• insuflon care or injections
• overnight oximetry studies
• allied health services (physiotherapy and occupational therapy)

Children and their families may also be involved in Telehealth Sessions.

Wallaby provides a Victoria-wide service. Staff can provide care for children within a 60 km radius of Melbourne (depending on availability and scope). Children outside our catchment may have their care outsourced to regional providers but are still regarded as a Wallaby Ward inpatient. The Wallaby team will keep in regular contact with the regional service providers and ensure the treating RCH medical unit are updated about the child's care.

We pride ourselves in being one of Victoria's leading hospital-in-the-home programs and strive to utilise new technologies and ideas to improve our delivery of care.

If you would like more information about the Wallaby Ward, please call 9345 5695 (during office hours).

For all referrals, please refer via EPIC or call our Intake Liaison on 9345 4770

Wallaby Ward survey

Please click the link below to submit your feedback.

We value your feedback, without your feedback the Wallaby ward will not be able to continue to deliver GREAT patient care for Children at home during their time on Wallaby. The results will assist us in strengthening our relationship with the families and providing a greater quality of care.

Wallaby patient/parent survey

Wallaby Ward news

Victorian Public Healthcare Awards

We are excited to announce that Wallaby has been recognised in two categories in the Victorian Public Healthcare Awards.

Wallaby is a finalist in the public health care awards in the categories: 

• Excellence in providing alternative care paths
• Hospital at Home: Pioneering best practice via the Patient-Centred Great Care Initiative.

Wallaby (HITH) Medical Lead, A/Prof Penelope Bryant won a Victorian Public Healthcare Award for her research into clinical work in Wallaby

'Improving healthcare through clinical research by an individual early in their career': 'Where the heart is, measuring the impact of hospitals in the home': www2.health.vic.gov.au/health-workforce/recognition-and-awards/victorian-public-healthcare-awards

Sleep study

Watch how to use an overnight oximetry

Meet Zoe!

Watch the video below to find out how Zoe's at-home physiotherapy, nursing and medical care.

Wallaby ward - home visit