General Paediatric Clinical Network

Overview

The General Paediatrics Clinical Network (GPCN) brings together clinicians, Māori partners, whānau voices, and sector leaders to strengthen paediatric care across Aotearoa. General Paediatrics is the cornerstone of child health, providing holistic, generalist care in secondary settings while linking closely with primary, community, and tertiary services. The GPCN exists to improve health outcomes for all mokopuna, with a clear commitment to equity, Te Tiriti o Waitangi, and Māori-led health advancement.

The network provides collective leadership, sharing expertise and lived experience to guide priorities, advocate for system transformation, and promote innovative, mokopuna-centric, whānau-focused, whānau-led models of care. It supports collaboration across regions, working towards consistent clinical guidance, and influences national child health strategy.

Using the Critical Tiriti Analysis tool and working in alignment with the Paediatric Society of New Zealand strategy, the GPCN ensures that all of its work is transparent, responsive, and equity-driven. Through its partnerships and mahi, the GPCN seeks to build a cohesive, future-focused paediatric service that addresses inequities, strengthens workforce capacity, and delivers meaningful improvements for mokopuna and their whānau.

Network priorities 

Workstream Development and Prioritisation: Implement and progress identified workstreams, using agreed prioritisation processes to focus on achievable, highimpact initiatives that address paediatric health needs across Aotearoa.

Equity and Te Tiriti o Waitangi Integration: Embed Te Tiriti principles across all network activities, ensuring culturally safe, whānau-centred approaches in project planning, service delivery, and workforce engagement. Use tools such as the Critical Treaty Analysis to guide decisions and workstream design.

Strengthening Partnerships and Connectedness: Build and maintain relationships with sector stakeholders, including other clinical networks, disability services, Māori and Pasifika health leadership, and Te Whatu Ora teams, to enable coordinated, collaborative approaches to child health.

Workforce Development and Knowledge-Sharing: As a newly established network, we are exploring ways to support paediatric clinicians and wider teams through education, mentoring, and shared learning. Ideas are being considered for newsletters and other communication channels to share opportunities for clinical engagement with projects and promote knowledge exchange across the sector.

Service Improvement and Advocacy: Support equitable access to key interventions, advocate for and support opportunities to improve paediatric services, including equitable access to interventions. Data, Research, and Monitoring: Continue to collect and use data to inform policy, planning, and quality improvement across the sector. As a new network, we are exploring ways to track and assess the potential impact of future activities on regional and national paediatric services.

Contact 

For more info or to get involved, email Julie at generalpaeds@paediatrics.org.nz.