General paediatrics is a broad paediatric specialty which, on referral from primary care providers, provides expert diagnosis, treatment, and care for infants, children, and young people.

General paediatricians have a breadth and depth of knowledge and experience that makes them ideally suited to provide high-quality specialist services and comprehensive care across a broad spectrum of common acute and chronic conditions and associated health issues of a developmental and psychosocial nature.

General paediatricians provide holistic patient-centred care and work with families and carers across multiple settings, including tertiary, outer metropolitan and regional, and rural hospitals, as well as remote, outreach, and community clinics. General paediatricians work in multidisciplinary teams with inpatients and outpatients and are also involved in teaching, research, advocacy, and leadership, aiming to improve overall child health.

General paediatricians provide holistic clinical care to address the health needs of infants, children, adolescents, and young people, including:

assessing and managing common acute and chronic paediatric conditions, including presentations that are undifferentiated and/or complex. These are issues which do not fall within the range of one subspecialty, and the integration of interdisciplinary expertise may be required.

providing a comprehensive coordination of services. The general paediatric team provides an essential service for infants, children, and young people who require subspecialty care. General paediatricians work closely with children and their families and carers, general practitioners, children’s educators, and allied health care professionals to maximise their health and wellbeing.

managing challenging circumstances to protect children and young people. General paediatricians have an important role in working with community agencies that provide support to children and their families.

considering the broad needs of children to ensure they have the best opportunities for optimal development, and managing children within their broader family, community, and sociocultural context. There are a variety of associations between social and cultural factors and health. There also may be critical stages in the life course during which the social environment has a stronger impact on later life health outcomes.

General paediatricians provide leadership and patient-centred care with compassion and strong communication and teamwork skills. Professional roles include:

  • Advocacy

    General paediatricians have an important advocacy role to help improve the health and development of children and adolescents in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand, with a strong focus on parental and infant mental health, nutrition, early childhood education, and vulnerable populations.

  • Leadership and management

    General paediatricians work in close collaboration with other medical professionals, including general practitioners, subspecialists, paediatric nurses, allied health professionals, and associated community organisations within this multidisciplinary field.

  • Teaching and research

    General paediatricians are involved in teaching current and future health professionals and doctors training to become paediatricians. Some general paediatricians are involved in child health research.

  • Professional and ethical practice

    General paediatricians have a commitment to improving the safety, effectiveness, and experience of health care.

Last modified: Wednesday, 20 August 2025, 3:42 PM