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What is the Paediatric Society of NZ | Te Kāhui Mātai Arotamariki o Aotearoa?
The Paediatric Society of NZ | Te Kāhui Mātai Arotamariki o Aotearoa is a national professional body for people involved in the health and wellbeing of tamariki (children) and rangatahi (young people) across Aotearoa New Zealand. Its stated purpose is that "tamariki in Aotearoa flourish in health and wellness," and it describes itself as working to reduce barriers between disciplines and geographical regions.
Its main activities, based on what the site presents, include:
- Membership for those working in child and youth health and wellbeing.
- The Child and Youth Health National Clinical Network (CYHNCN) — bringing together health professionals and consumers to improve outcomes for tamariki and rangatahi.
- Lived Experience Navigators (LENs) Rōpū — described as the voice of whānau and community within the clinical network.
- Advocacy, for example its position that child poverty is a child health issue and its call for an all-of-government approach.
- Education and events, such as Paediatric Epilepsy Training (PET) courses and an annual meeting.
- A strategic plan for 2021–2026, focused on improving outcomes for all tamariki, with particular attention to Māori, Pasifika, disabled and targeted groups.
It is not a clinical service. The site states plainly that the Society does not provide health care or advice for patients, and directs anyone concerned about a child to their GP, Healthline on 0800 611 116, or 111 in an emergency.
Next step: If you are a health professional, student or researcher in child and youth health, the membership page is the practical entry point; if you are a parent or caregiver seeking advice, contact your GP or Healthline instead. You can start at The Paediatric Society of NZ.
Who is eligible to join the Paediatric Society of NZ and how do I become a member?
Membership is open to anyone involved with the health and wellbeing of tamariki and rangatahi (children and young people) across Aotearoa New Zealand. The society describes itself as bringing together people across disciplines and regions, so eligibility is framed around your involvement in child and youth health and wellbeing rather than a single professional title. That means clinicians, nurses, allied health staff and others working in this space can reasonably see themselves as the intended audience.
To join, the practical route is through the society's website: The Paediatric Society of NZ. Look for the membership section, where you can review the current categories and any fees before applying. If you are unsure whether your role fits, the site's contact details are the best way to check before committing.
A useful next step is to decide what you want from membership. If you mainly want news, events and connection with others in child health, a standard membership is likely enough. If you are interested in the Child and Youth Health National Clinical Network or specific workstreams, ask which membership type gives you the clearest route into those groups.
One thing to note: the society states that it does not provide health care or advice for patients. If a child in your care is unwell, contact your GP, call Healthline on 0800 611 116 for free advice from registered nurses, or dial 111 in an emergency.
How can I register for the Paediatric Epilepsy Training (PET) courses in Aotearoa?
Registration for Paediatric Epilepsy Training (PET) courses in Aotearoa is handled through the Paediatric Society of NZ, which promotes the courses on its site. Go to The Paediatric Society of NZ and look for the Paediatric Epilepsy Training section on the homepage; it is the entry point for course information and any registration or expression-of-interest details the Society publishes.
If registration isn't open or the link isn't obvious, contact the PSNZ directly through the contact details on the site and ask to be added to the PET mailing list. Courses run periodically, so being on the list means you hear about dates before they fill.
A practical step-by-step
- Open the PSNZ homepage and find the Paediatric Epilepsy Training block.
- Follow its link for course dates, venues and registration instructions.
- If nothing is listed, email the Society to ask when the next intake opens and whether there is a waitlist.
- Check whether your employer (DHB, primary care network or training provider) is coordinating a group booking — this is common for in-house paediatric teams.
Who this suits
PET is aimed at health professionals involved in the care of children with epilepsy — paediatricians, registrars, nurses and allied staff. If you are a parent or caregiver, note that the Society states it does not provide health care or advice for patients; for a child who is unwell, contact your GP, call Healthline on 0800 611 116 for free nurse advice, or dial 111 in an emergency.
Decision criterion
If you need continuing professional development credit or your service is reviewing its epilepsy pathway, register early and ask about the format (in-person versus regional courses) before committing, since travel and release time are usually the main constraints.
What is the Child and Youth Health National Clinical Network and how can I get involved?
The Child and Youth Health National Clinical Network (CYHNCN) is a national body described by the Paediatric Society of NZ as bringing together health professionals and consumers with expertise in child and youth health, working in partnership to improve outcomes for tamariki and rangatahi across Aotearoa. It sits under the Society's umbrella, which also runs a Lived Experience Navigators (LENs) rōpū giving whānau and community a voice within the network.
In practical terms, it is a coordination and collaboration layer rather than a clinic. It connects people who would otherwise work in separate disciplines and regions, which matters in a small country where paediatric expertise is spread thinly. The Society frames this in terms of reducing barriers between disciplines and geographical regions.
Who it is for
- Clinicians and other health professionals working in child and youth health.
- Consumers and whānau representatives, including through the Lived Experience Navigators group.
- People whose work touches child wellbeing but who are not clinicians in the narrow sense.
How to get involved
The clearest route shown on the page is through the Society's own structures:
- Join PSNZ membership. The Society states that membership is open to people involved with the health and wellbeing of tamariki and rangatahi across Aotearoa, and that the network is one of the things members can engage with.
- Watch the news and expressions of interest. The site's latest news carries open calls, such as an EOI for Clinical Nurse Specialists for a paediatric palliative care workstream and a search for Co-Chairs for the CYHNCN itself. These are the concrete entry points when they appear.
- Consider the LENs rōpū if your perspective is that of whānau or community rather than a clinical role.
A practical way to decide
If you are a clinician wanting to influence national practice rather than only your own service, the network is the relevant channel; start with membership and then respond to an EOI that matches your specialty. If you are a parent or community representative, the Lived Experience Navigators route is the more direct fit. If you are simply looking for health advice for a child, this is not that service — the Society states it does not provide health care or advice for patients, and directs people to a GP, Healthline on 0800 611 116, or 111 in an emergency.
A useful next step is to read the Society's strategic plan for 2021–2026 alongside the network description, since the plan sets out the stated focus on Māori, Pasifika, disabled and targeted groups that the network's work is meant to serve. Start at The Paediatric Society of NZ.
How can whānau and community members join the Lived Experience Navigators Rōpū?
The Lived Experience Navigators (LENs) Rōpū is described on the PSNZ site as the voice of whānau and community within the Child and Youth Health National Clinical Network (CYHNCN). The page does not spell out a step-by-step application process, so the practical route is to contact the Society directly and ask to be put in touch with the LENs Rōpū or the CYHNCN coordinators.
What to expect
- The Rōpū sits inside the CYHNCN, which brings together health professionals and consumers with child and youth health expertise. Members are therefore likely to be involved in network discussions and consumer input rather than clinical care.
- PSNZ membership is open to people involved with the health and wellbeing of tamariki and rangatahi across Aotearoa, which is the natural entry point for whānau and community members.
- The Society states it does not provide health care or advice for patients, so this is a voice and advocacy role, not a clinical service.
A useful next step
Use the "Meet us here" link on the LENs Rōpū section of the homepage to reach the relevant contact, and say in one short message who you are, your connection to a child or young person's health experience, and which region you are in. If you are unsure whether you need to join PSNZ first, ask that in the same message; membership is open to people involved in tamariki and rangatahi wellbeing, so it is unlikely to be a barrier. See The Paediatric Society of NZ for the current contact details and any updates to the Rōpū's recruitment.
Decision criterion
If you want to shape how child and youth health services are designed and want your whānau experience heard at a national network level, the LENs Rōpū is the right fit. If you are seeking clinical advice or care for a child, contact your GP, Healthline on 0800 611 116, or 111 in an emergency instead.
What is the Paediatric Society of NZ's strategic plan for 2021-2026 and what are its priorities?
The PSNZ 2021–2026 strategy is framed around one overarching aim: improving outcomes for all tamariki (children) in Aotearoa New Zealand, with explicit priority focus on Māori, Pasifika, disabled and other targeted groups. It is a society-level strategy — about how the organisation directs its advocacy, networks and membership — rather than a clinical guideline or a service you can access directly.
What the priorities look like in practice
- Equity-first targeting. Naming Māori, Pasifika, disabled and targeted groups as focus populations signals that reducing disparities is treated as the core measure of success, not an add-on.
- Breaking down silos. The site describes strength in "working together to reduce the barriers between disciplines and geographical regions" — so workforce connection and cross-region collaboration are part of the plan, not just policy statements.
- Connecting professionals and consumers. The Child and Youth Health National Clinical Network (CYHNCN) brings health professionals together with consumers, and the Lived Experience Navigators (LENs) rōpū embed whānau and community voice inside that network.
- Advocacy beyond the clinic. The society publicly frames child poverty as a child health issue and calls for an all-of-government approach — an example of the strategy reaching into social determinants.
- Workforce and capability building. News items such as expressions of interest for Clinical Nurse Specialists in a paediatric palliative care workstream, recruitment of CYHNCN co-chairs, and promotion of Paediatric Epilepsy Training all point to capability development as a delivery mechanism.
Who this is for
| Audience | What the strategy offers them |
|---|---|
| Paediatricians, nurses, allied health staff | A membership body and network to coordinate with peers across disciplines and regions |
| Researchers and trainees | A route into workstreams, networks and training such as PET courses |
| Whānau and community advocates | Formal consumer voice through the CYHNCN and LENs rōpū |
| Policy and NGO audiences | A society-level advocacy position on child poverty and equity |
A practical next step
If you are deciding whether to engage, start with the piece that matches your role rather than reading the strategy end to end. A clinician wanting to contribute expertise should look at the CYHNCN and current expressions of interest; someone representing whānau or community should look at the Lived Experience Navigators rōpū; a policy analyst should read the child poverty advocacy position alongside the strategy's equity targets. Membership is described as open to anyone involved in the health and wellbeing of tamariki and rangatahi.
One important boundary: the society states plainly that it does not provide health care or advice for patients. If a child is unwell, the site directs people to a GP, Healthline on 0800 611 116 for free nurse advice, or 111 in an emergency. The strategy is an organisational roadmap, not a clinical resource — useful context when judging what the plan can and cannot deliver.
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