Kids grow up alongside different forms of gambling, but only half of Australian parents have discussed gambling with their teen. Our latest National Child Health Poll released today reports the concerns of Australian parents about gambling in teens and its connection to online gaming. Dr Anthea Rhodes from The Royal Children’s Hospital, alongside Tim Costello, Chief Advocate for Alliance for Gambling Reform, shared the importance of having open conversations with your family about gambling and its risks across TV, radio and print news. Explore our latest poll findings: https://rchpoll.org.au/
The Royal Children's Hospital
Hospitals and Health Care
Parkville, VIC 50,076 followers
About us
The Royal Children's Hospital (RCH) has been providing outstanding care for Victoria's children and their families for over 147 years. We are the major specialist paediatric hospital in Victoria and our care extends to children from Tasmania, southern New South Wales and other states around Australia and overseas. With a passionate, highly skilled and committed staff campus wide of over 5,000, we provide a full range of clinical services, tertiary care and health promotion and prevention programs for children and young people. We are the designated state-wide major trauma centre for paediatrics in Victoria and a Nationally Funded Centre for cardiac and liver transplantation. When it comes to training and research we partner with the very best. Our campus partners, the Murdoch Childrens Research Institute (MCRI) and The University of Melbourne Department of Paediatrics, along with the RCH Foundation, are on site with the hospital in Parkville. Together, we are committed to improving the health outcomes for children today and in the future. In 2016–17, more than 85,654 children attended our Emergency Department, 322,291 specialist clinic appointments were held which was almost 70,000 more than the previous year, more than 17,000 surgeries were performed and more than 48,552 children were admitted to our wards.
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http://www.rch.org.au
External link for The Royal Children's Hospital
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- Hospitals and Health Care
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- 5,001-10,000 employees
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- Parkville, VIC
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50 Flemington Road
Parkville, VIC 3052, AU
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Updates
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Dr Anthea Rhodes reflects on our latest National Child Health Poll which explores concern about gambling among Australian parents of teens.
Paediatrician | Director, National Child Health Poll at The Royal Children's Hospital
Do you remember your first experience with gambling? Was it picking a horse for the Melbourne Cup or maybe a scratchie in your Christmas card? I grew up behind the counter of my family’s newsagency in the northern suburbs of Hobart – and every Tuesday I recall people queuing up to buy their weekly lottery ticket. In those days, there was no internet, no online betting, no apps – if you wanted a flutter, you had to come in and buy a ticket. I was always amazed to see people hand over their money every week. In all the years we had the shop, never once did someone take home a lifechanging win. One afternoon I asked one of our regular customers why he kept buying tickets, “For a bit of fun, love” he said, “it’s my little escape.” Of course, many years later, as a doctor with expertise in childhood behaviour and mental health, I know the sense of fun and escapism that brought him in to buy a Tatts ticket is the same thing that drives our kids to scroll mindlessly on their phones or ask for a few extra dollars to spend in an online game - that delicious dose of dopamine. Dopamine, the ‘happy hormone’, creates feelings of pleasure that help our brain recognise and reinforce beneficial behaviours. But certain activities, like gambling, trigger an outsized response that means our brain needs more of that activity to produce the same amount of pleasure. Concerningly, young people are most at risk of developing these addictive behaviours, as their brains continue developing well into their mid-20s. This is why we have to protect our kids. Today, the culture around gambling is insidious. In Australia, we gamble more than $32 billion annually. In small doses, it’s seen as a bit of harmless fun. But when it comes to our children, there’s no safe amount of gambling. The societal harm from gambling is similar to that of alcohol, mostly resulting in financial loss, damage to relationships, mental distress, and adverse effects on work and education. In the latest National Child Health Poll by The Royal Children's Hospital, many parents told us they were worried about gambling for their kids. But almost half of those with teens, said they’d never discussed gambling with their child. Critical work is being done at a legislative level to stop gambling companies and organisations from targeting our children – but as families and as a community we also have a role to play. We need to start talking to our kids about gambling today. They need to understand the risks and the harm gambling will cause. This isn’t a conversation that can wait till later in life. The conversation needs to start now – because later will be too late. Learn more about our findings and discover ways you can start the conversation today https://lnkd.in/gcNttZ6Z The RCH Health Literacy Project is funded by the The Royal Children's Hospital Foundation Melbourne through the Good Friday Appeal.
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Meet Johanna Holschier, our Senior Paediatric Care Pharmacist and Clinical Pharmacy Team Co-leader and our latest Champion for Children. Some of the patients Hanna meets in our Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) are on close to 30 different medications at a time, which is why it’s so important the correct dosage and medications are administered. Her day starts on the ward at 8am, meeting patients and their families to review their medications and also check if they’re on any existing, regular medications at home. “It is important to engage with families when they first arrive so they can put a face to the name, and each time we round on the patients on PICU with the doctors, they feel comfortable to reach out and ask questions." A large part of Hanna’s role is ensuring medication safety, as part of the National Health Standards. This includes consulting with other hospitals and health services across the country, to share knowledge and expertise and make sure when patients are discharged, their local care teams and pharmacies have the most up-to-date information, to continue their care. “It is a joy to come to work each day and work alongside some really great clinicians who are such experts in the areas in which they work,” Hanna explained. “The patients and their families are also wonderful and it’s amazing how resilient and strong children can be - their perseverance and bravery during their hospital admission should always be commended!”. You can read more about Hanna and the work she does at https://lnkd.in/eWU34ebX
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Meet Sarah Connolly, GAICD, Director of Allied Health at the RCH. “I always knew I wanted a career working with children, having grown up in a large extended family with lots of children. “I originally wanted to be a teacher but decided on a career in social work because of the many varied career paths it offered. I trained in social work in Ireland and worked in a variety of child and family settings including child protection services as well as hospital roles– so I bring my knowledge of children and families, child health and a strong focus on child safety to my role at the RCH." For close to a decade, Sarah was the Manager of Social Work at the hospital, before taking on her current role. “The RCH values – curious, courageous, inclusive, and kind – enable us to focus on the voices of children and their families. For example, our Child Safety and Family Violence Committee meetings open with a patient story to keep us focused on what matters,” Sarah said. “The theme of this year’s National Child Protection week is ‘every child in every community needs a fair go’ and remembering that ‘every conversation matters’. “These are essential reminders about the importance of keeping children and young people safe and well. “Working at the RCH is really inspirational – being surrounded by experts in children’s health and being privileged to witness the resilience of children in the face of serious illness and injury. It’s definitely a special place to work.” You can read more about Sarah’s role at https://lnkd.in/grK2yn2G
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Congratulations to cardiologist Professor Robert Weintraub who has been awarded the prestigious Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand RT Hall Prize for 2024. Professor Weintraub has made an incredible contribution to paediatric cardiology with internationally recognised research. His work at the RCH as well as the Murdoch Children's Research Institute (MCRI) and the University of Melbourne has helped develop a greater understanding of the management of cardiomyopathies in children. He is the lead physician for the Pulmonary Hypertension programme and has been the Director of the National Paediatric Heart Transplant Programme for more than thirty years. Congratulations Robert on this very well-deserved accolade. You can read more about the award at https://lnkd.in/gpprwUCt
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On this Wear It Purple Day, together with our Melbourne Children's Campus partners at Murdoch Children's Research Institute (MCRI), The Royal Children's Hospital Foundation Melbourne and the University of Melbourne, we acknowledge the importance of fostering supportive, safe and inclusive environments for rainbow young people. This year’s focus on collaboration is an opportunity to reflect on the LGBTIQA Campus Collective work that is well underway, championing diversity, equity and belonging for our community of patients, families and staff. Let’s celebrate by embracing and supporting the diverse identities of our young people. We are committed to continue working together towards a future where people with diverse sexual orientations, gender identities and bodies thrive 💜 #WearItPurpleDay
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At The Royal Children's Hospital, we believe every child, no matter where they live—from the heart of Melbourne or Hamilton—deserves exceptional care. For the past 25 years, our dedicated endocrinology and diabetes specialists have travelled to regional cities like Hamilton, Horsham, Wangaratta, Geelong, and Mildura. Every three months they bring their expertise to these communities, providing essential outreach services and support. This collaborative effort saves families the long journey to Melbourne while ensuring they have more precious time at home, doing what they love. By partnering with local healthcare providers, we are not only sharing our clinical expertise but also learning from our peers, creating an integrated paediatric service system right across Victoria. Together, we are closing gaps in care and improving outcomes for children and young people across the state. Thanks to Western District Health Service for helping us share more about this important work.
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Happy NAIDOC Week everyone! NAIDOC Week is an important time to celebrate the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. The theme this year is “Keep the fire burning! Blak, loud and proud”, honouring the strength and resilience of First Nations communities. Today the RCH was led in a reflective Welcome to Country and Smoking Ceremony by Wurundjeri Elder Aunty Joy Murphy AO and her son Craig, bringing together staff, patients and families from across the hospital. Thank you to all those who were able to attend. There are many more activities planned and we look forward to celebrating with our Melbourne Children’s Campus community throughout the week. What does NAIDOC Week mean to you?
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As Pride Month is coming to an end, staff from the Women’s and across the precinct came together to strengthen our connections and celebrate solidarity in gender and sexuality diversity. We shared stories and ideas on how we can continue to build relationships across our precinct to better support LGBTQIA rights and inclusion for staff, patients and families. Together, we can advocate for equity in health outcomes and a society based on inclusion and respect. Thank you to the The Royal Children's Hospital, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, The Royal Melbourne Hospital, WEHI (Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research), QueersInScience, Frances Perry House and everyone else who joined us in the celebration. #PrideMonth
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