Hunter Paediatric Society (HPS)

The Hunter Paediatric Society (HPS) Incorporated is a collaboration of health care professionals who are working predominately with children and adolescents who work in the Hunter New England Local Health District (HNELHD).

Goals:
The Hunter Paediatric Society aims to:
• Advocate for appropriate standards of care in paediatrics.
• Promote communication between, and fellowship of members, of the Society.
• Provide education and professional development to its members.
• Foster liaison with similar paediatric organisations.

History:
When Dr Christian McCaffery was the Medical Superintendent of Royal Newcastle Hospital (RNH) he instituted a system whereby the senior medical officers at RNH had to have an Australasian specialist medical qualification and also could only be appointed as staff specialists. Later, he did let HMO’s join the staff.

During the early 1970’s the RNH paediatricians were Robert (Bert) Evans FRACP and two others with an MRCP (the UK qualification). At that time the MRCP was an acceptable specialist qualification.

The Mater Hospital had paediatric VMO’s who all had a Diploma of Child Health. Two of them had done three years of paediatric training so they were skilled in paediatrics.

There was a “divide” between paediatrics in the east of Newcastle (RNH) and in the west of Newcastle (MMH) primarily for the above reasons. Bert Evans sought to bring paediatrics together. Bert commenced weekly grand-rounds at RNH (to which the Mater paediatricians were invited) and he set up an organisation which could represent all of the city’s paediatricians. This became the Hunter Paediatric Society (HPS).