Queensland Paediatric Rehabilitation Service

The Queensland Paediatric Rehabilitation Service (QPRS) provides coordinated family-focused rehabilitation, health assessments and interventions for children and adolescents with a range of disabilities resulting from injury, illness or disease. Our goal is to maximise function, prevent or minimise predictable complications and improve quality of life for children. Our team cares for children and adolescents with:

• acquired neurological injury or illness e.g. brain injury
• spinal cord dysfunction
• cerebral palsy and similar conditions
• limb difference and amputation
• rare complex conditions e.g. achondroplasia for developmental guidance.

Download our Queensland Paediatric Rehabilitation Service fact sheet
View all rehabilitation fact sheets
View all Cerebral Palsy fact sheets

We also provide the following services:

Inpatient Rehabilitation

The inpatient rehabilitation unit is located on Level 8 (8a).

Outpatient Rehabilitation

QPRS provides outpatient rehabilitation services for children accessing tertiary health services through QPRS. This includes group or individual goal directed therapy to support health interventions, splinting, casting and transition to adult services.

Day Rehabilitation Program

The Day Rehabilitation Program is conducted in the day hospital on Level 6 (6e).

Queensland Clinical Motion Analysis Service

Formerly known as the Gait Laboratory, the Queensland Clinical Motion Analysis Service is located on Level 5 of the Centre for Children’s Health Research. More information visit the QCMAS web page.

Specialised Rehabilitation Programs

QPRS has specialised multidisciplinary teams that provide rehabilitation programs tailored to the key clinical areas of limb difference, acquired brain injury (including mild traumatic brain injuries) and spinal cord injury.

• Learning to live with and Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) – Tip sheets for kids
• Timetable for growing up – When does it happen?
• Developing skills for growing up – Checklists

Cerebral Palsy Health Programs

QPRS provides tertiary health and rehabilitation programs for children and adolescents with cerebral palsy and similar conditions. These include:

• Hip surveillance
• Botulinum toxin A
• Selective dorsal rhizotomy (SDR)
• Intrathecal baclofen (ITB)
• Orthopaedic surgery.

Specialist Outpatient Clinics

QPRS runs the following specialist outpatient clinics:

• Rehabilitation Medicine Clinic
• Botulinum Toxin Injecting Clinic
• Physical Assessment Clinic
• Limb Difference Clinic
• Cerebral Palsy Orthopaedic Clinic
• Hip Surveillance Clinic
• Neurocognitive Clinic
• Mild Traumatic Brain Injury Clinic
• Achondroplasia Clinic
• Feeding and Nutrition Clinic
• Spinal Disabilities Clinic
• Spina Bifida Clinic.

Spina Bifida Clinic

The Spina Bifida Clinic is run by clinicians and departments including Paediatric Spina Bifida Consultants (i.e. Rehabilitation Consultants), Orthopaedics, Neurosurgery, Ophthalmology, Urology and Physiotherapy.

All referrals to this clinic should be addressed to Dr Priya Edwards, Director, Paediatric Rehabilitation (please also include referrals to other specialties if required).

For more information about referrals please see, Referring patients.

Appointments with other Medical/Allied Health teams are teams are coordinated where possible.

Please contact the Spina Bifida team by phone or email.

t: 3068 2736 (general enquiries – Spina Bifida Clinical Nurse)   |   3068 8111 (urgent issues – Rehab Registrar)
e: lcch.spinabifida@health.qld.gov.au

You can read more about Spina Bifida at – www.spinabifida.org

Statewide Services

Hubs
QPRS funds hub therapy positions at 5 regional centres: Cairns, Townsville, Mackay, Rockhampton, Gold Coast, to provide local support, therapy and co-ordination.
To contact a hub therapist please email QPRS@health.qld.gov.au.
Hip Surveillance
QPRS runs a Hip Surveillance Program which provides monitoring of hip status for early detection of subluxation for all Queensland children with a diagnosis of Cerebral Palsy or similar conditions.
Telehealth
QPRS provides the option of telehealth consultations for families and clinicians across Queensland.
Outreach Clinics
QPRS partners with paediatric teams in major regional centres to provide twice yearly multidisciplinary Paediatric Rehabilitation clinics in the following locations:

• Cairns
• Townsville
• Mackay
• Rockhampton
• Hervey Bay
• Bundaberg
• Gold Coast
• Toowoomba
• Mount Isa

View the outreach timetable for more information or phone us on 07 3068 2950.
Education and support
QPRS provides education and support as part of outreach and statewide services.

Who can access this service?

New patients

Referrals are accepted up to 16 years of age (prior to 16th birthday). Patients with an acquired brain or spinal cord injury over 16 years of age and still at school may be referred for consultation.

Existing patients with complex care needs

Referrals are accepted up to their 18th birthday (patients are usually transitioned to adult services by this time).

Catchment area

This service is available to children living in Queensland and northern New South Wales.

Do I need a referral?

You will need a formal referral to access this service.

How do I get a referral?

Referrals are accepted from:

• medical specialists
• general practitioners.

Other referral information

Children with complex conditions should be referred to a general paediatrician for shared care.
Cerebral palsy patients will require a general paediatrician to be involved in their care.

Please bring the following items to your appointment:

• neuroimaging
• hip X-rays (if available)
• assistive devices such as walking aids or orthoses (if used).

Wait times are based on clinical information such as acuity of injury, medical concern, psychosocial complexity, pain and change in function.

Information for health professionals

The Queensland Paediatric Rehabilitation Service (QPRS) provides specialist paediatric rehabilitation for children and young people with limitations of function as a consequence of an acquired injury, illness or disease. Our goal is to maximise function, prevent or minimise predictable complications and improve quality of life for children.

Who may benefit from this service

Children with:

• acquired neurological injury or illness e.g. brain injury
• spinal cord dysfunction
• cerebral palsy and similar conditions
• limb difference and amputation
• rare complex conditions e.g. achondroplasia for developmental guidance.

Referral instructions

Referral to QPRS for children with head injury and brain injury guideline (QH staff only)
Specialist referral requirements

• All referrals must be made by a medical practitioner.
• All referrals should be addressed to a named consultant.
• All referrals should be marked Attention QPRS or Attention Queensland Paediatric Rehabilitation Service.

Please refer to the Director or named consultant (as below in the ‘Our team’ section).

Urgent referrals
Contact the rehabilitation registrar or on-call consultant via the hospital switchboard.
t: 07 3068 1111

Useful links

Better Start
Brain Child Foundation
Brain Injury Australia
CanChild
Cerebral Palsy (CP) Alliance
Cerebral Palsy Australia
Cerebral Palsy Support Network
Hemispherectomy Foundation Australia
International Spinal Cord Society
Limbs 4 Kids
Medical Aids Subsidy Scheme
National Disability Insurance Scheme
National Injury Insurance Scheme Queensland
Novita Children’s Services
Queensland Cerebral Palsy and Rehabilitation Research Centre
Queensland Cerebral Palsy Register
Queenslander with a Disability Network
Raising Children Network
RedKite
Ronald McDonald Learning Program
Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne Rehabilitation Service
Spina Bifida Association
Spina Bifida Hydrochephalus Queensland
Sporting Wheelies
Synapse (previously Brain Injury Association of Queensland)
Westmead Children’s Hospital Rehabilitation Service

Our team

Director

Dr Priya Edwards