Northern Beaches Hospital in New South Wales (NSW), Australia, is set to install over-the-bed critical care cameras to enhance care for seriously ill babies and children.

This development comes after the Clinical Excellence Commission's Independent Inquiry into Northern Beaches Hospital’s emergency department, which identified the lack of this technology as a critical issue. This inquiry was commissioned by the NSW health secretary Susan Pearce.

NSW health minister Ryan Park said that the cameras are currently undergoing testing and are expected to be operational within weeks.

Specialist camera units are being installed in key areas, including the paediatric ward, emergency department and special care nursery and will provide real-time images.

The cameras will facilitate communication between clinicians and the Newborn and Paediatric Emergency Transport Service (NETS), connecting them with the Sydney Children's Hospitals Network specialists during critical situations.

Northern Beaches Hospital previously lacked a connection to NSW Health's data network, which hindered video camera connectivity, necessitating phone communication with NETS for clinical advice.

Discussions between the Northern Beaches Hospital Taskforce, Healthscope, and its receivers are ongoing. The NSW government aims for a negotiated agreement on the hospital's control and operation in the future.

Park said: "One of the great benefits of these cameras is that when in use, the NETS clinicians can become very involved in the care, often acting as another pair of eyes.

"The cameras are controlled at the NETS end so they can zoom in and look closely at the patient, or at the monitoring equipment to watch real-time changes as they occur. These cameras are vital in providing specialist advice to clinicians on the ground dealing with a paediatric emergency.

"Today, I am pleased to say that as a result of NSW Health's work with Healthscope, the operator of Northern Beaches Hospital, these cameras are now being installed."