Acutely ill children within ward areas-care provision and possible development strategies.

This report presents the key findings of a travel scholarship to selected paediatric centres in the United Kingdom (UK), Australasia and the United States of America, where services provision for the care of acutely ill children within ward areas was investigated. In total, 15 centres were visited over a 5-month period, and comprehensive programs of information exchange were arranged in all locations. Key areas of interest discussed were the concepts of paediatric critical care outreach services and the use of paediatric early warning assessment tools. Information was collated and applied to the existing service provision within a tertiary children's hospital in the UK. It is hoped that the information gained during this professional study tour will add to the current available literature. It has helped to clarify the position of other key centres with regard to the care provision for acutely ill children in ward areas and confirmed the potential value of a support system and/or use of clinical assessment tool for staff caring for these children.