The Victorian Paediatric Rehabilitation Service (VPRS) is a statewide service which provides specialist rehabilitation supporting the unique needs of children, young people and their families. The VPRS at Barwon Health is located in a purpose-built, child and family friendly paediatric rehabilitation facility at the McKellar Centre.
The team provides rehabilitation for children and youth in Geelong and across the Barwon South West region.
We offer specialist clinics, ambulatory rehabilitation programs and an outreach program.
Conditions seen
Barwon Health offers paediatric rehabilitation for the following conditions:
- acquired brain injury including stroke or traumatic brain injury
- spinal cord injury or illness
- tone management including cerebral palsy and similar conditions
- encephalitis and meningitis
- acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM) and Guillain Barre Syndrome (GBS)
- orthopaedic surgery
- cardiac surgery
- cancer
- chronic fatigue syndrome
- concussion
Conditions not seen
Barwon Health does not accept referrals for inpatient paediatric rehabilitation.
How do I access this service
To be seen in this specialist clinic you need a referral. The referral can be from your GP, a specialist doctor, your Barwon Health doctor or from an allied health professional.
We are unable to see you in our clinics without a referral.
Eligibility criteria:
- infants, children and families who have had a complex injury, illness, surgery
- developmental concern or diagnosis involving atypical muscle tone
- moderate to high complexity rehabilitation needs
- require time-limited and goal-focused rehabilitation program
- require an interdisciplinary team approach to achieve rehabilitation goals
All referrals are triaged and if not suitable for VPRS, the referral may be forwarded to a more appropriate service or feedback provided to the referrer.
Wait time
All requests for specialist clinic appointments are scheduled according to the patient’s clinical need. Clinicians assess whether an appointment is urgent or routine, based on information provided in the referral.
Barwon Health aims to see all ‘urgent’ referrals within 30 days. Our wait times for patients who are categorised as ‘routine’ are more variable, depending on the demand for our services.
No Wait times to show
For Health Professionals
State-referral criteria may apply for conditions under this specialty requiring further assessment and management. Referring clinicians are encouraged to utilise Western Victoria Community HealthPathways for referral guidelines and requirements for all conditions.
For urgent referral advice, please contact the specialty on-call registrar via Barwon Health switchboard on 03 4215 0000.
Complete the specialist clinics referral template and send via:
- ReferralNet (Geelong region only)
- Email: [email protected]
- Post: McKellar Kids Rehab 45-95 Ballarat Road, North Geelong 3215, PO Box 281, Geelong VIC 3220
Please complete the VPRS referral form, ensuring all required referral information is included.
If you need to contact us regarding the template, please contact the McKellar Kid’s Rehab Coordinator on 03 4215 5314 or [email protected].
For patients who require reassessment, a new referral should be sent through. To facilitate earlier access, the new referral must contain the following information:
- State the referral is an update for a current patient
- Date of original referral
- Reason for requesting a review of referral (e.g. deterioration in clinical condition, pathology)
The referrer will be notified of the outcome of the re-triage process.
GPs or referrers wishing to discuss the triage of their patient’s referral, or who require additional information, please ring the McKellar Kid’s Rehab Coordinator on 03 4215 5314.
Page last updated: September 12, 2025