Patch Academy is the education branch of PatchSA.

Palliative Care for Children South Africa (PatchSA) is a national charity that aims to share specialised knowledge, tools, resources and opportunities to ensure the best possible care for children with life-threatening and life-limiting illnesses, and to provide support to healthcare professionals, families and lay caregivers.

A registered non-profit, PatchSA advocates at regional and national level for the right of all children who need it to receive good palliative care. It supports the development of services and the upskilling of healthcare professionals working in both government and non-government facilities where children with serious and life-limiting illnesses are treated.

PatchSA is a supportive network for bereaved parents and family members as well as those who may be coping with a child’s life-limiting diagnosis and care.

The organisation’s mission is “to mobilise and support a sustainable network of individuals, organisations, professionals and caregivers to provide palliative care for children and their families from diagnosis to bereavement as an essential component of Universal Health Coverage.”

Patch Academy is an online training platform that has been created as an educational resource for all members of the multidisciplinary team who provide care to babies, toddlers, children and young adults with life-threatening and life-limiting illnesses and conditions and to their families. This could include but is not limited to doctors, nurses, social workers, pastors and other spiritual leaders, psychologists, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, art and music therapists. However, the courses are open to anyone with a desire to know more about the practice and delivery of neonatal, perinatal and children’s palliative care. No previous qualification is required.

PatchSA has cooperated with Bettercare to publish the book Palliative Care for Children: A guide for improving the quality of life of patients and their families. Bettercare is a trusted brand whose books are used widely in both private and government hospitals and institutions. They offer online learning and encourage the forming of study groups to undertake their courses.

Much of the basic theoretical content for the Patch Academy courses can be found in this book which can be purchased from PatchSA  or read online on the Bettercare website.  We highly recommend that those doing our courses and those who work with children requiring palliative care purchase a hard copy of the book for easy reference and revision purposes.

PatchSA is grateful to the Discovery Fund for supporting us in the writing and developing of the book and for supporting us in the development of these online courses.

Patch Academy courses are suited for individual learning and provide stimulating multi-media content and information for those seeking an interactive and immersive learning experience. Those undertaking our courses have access to a dedicated course coordinator who will be available to respond to queries and provide assistance if and when needed.