Last weekend, we were proud to see more than 125 local health professionals including GPs, registrars, practice nurses and allied health workers attend the 2025 Nepean Blue Mountains Clinical Paediatric Conference.

The conference, which has become a cornerstone event for paediatric education in the region, is one that we look forward to delivering alongside our friends at the Nepean Blue Mountains Local Health District every year.

This year our Board Chair, Mr Gary Smith AM, attended and officially opened the event. During his opening speech he acknowledged key organiser, Clinical Associate Professor Dr Habib Bhurawala, Head of Paediatrics at Nepean Hospital, whose dedication and tireless work have been instrumental in the event’s success over the past 12 years. Dr Bhurawala continues to deliver on his promise to engage the brightest minds to positively shape the future of children's healthcare and this year's Conference was no exception.

Throughout the day key speakers tackled some of the most common issues in childhood health, with a strong focus on innovative approaches in primary care. Topics included managing adolescent vaping, common paediatric ear, nose and throat concerns, assessing developmental delay in young children, asthma and ‘pre-school wheeze’, paediatric allergies and childhood obesity.  

Events like these not only serve as a valuable opportunity for professional development, but they also offer a dedicated space to share knowledge, discuss holistic approaches, and have meaningful conversations around continuity of care and the integration of services to better support children and families.

I would also like to acknowledge and thank Dr Arman Babajanyan, Head of Paediatrics at Blue Mountains Hospital, the wider paediatric team at Nepean Hospital, Dr Arpita Chauhan, our Continuing Professional Development GP advisor, our guest speakers, and others who have dedicated their time and expertise to help organise and inform the event. Their dedication to advancing paediatric health was evident in every part of this year’s conference.

Lastly, I would like to thank the event sponsors including Rural Doctors Network, GSK, Nestlé, Aspen Pharmacare Australia, H&H Group, Novo Nordisk, Nutricia and Pfizer.