Patch Academy is our online learning platform that offers professional training in children’s palliative care. It provides courses for a multidisciplinary team of healthcare professionals, as well as for families and individuals who care for children with life-threatening and life-limiting illnesses.

Since 2021, over 4,600 healthcare professionals from 45 countries have advanced their skills through Patch Academy’s CPD-accredited courses in paediatric and perinatal palliative care. Our courses are designed and delivered by experts in the field combining evidence-based knowledge, compassion, and real-world application. Over the past three years, 123 healthcare providers from 14 countries have registered to take our comprehensive courses and their feedback has been consistently positive.

What the participants say

“I found the comprehensive course extremely helpful… I have much better insight into how to work with children with life-threatening or life-limiting conditions, and also how to think about children’s palliative care. Every course provided conceptual information as well as practical guidance and tips. The resource materials were interesting, and the courses were presented in such innovative ways!”
— HB, Music Therapist

“This course challenged me, taught me so much, and reminded me that compassion should never be dimmed by circumstance. Hearing families’ stories reinforced the importance of ensuring quality and not just quantity of life.”
— ND, Speech Therapist

“I am a much more compassionate health care professional because of this course, and I’m more aware of my body language when I speak with patients.”
— CC, Sonographer

“I cannot believe the amount of invaluable content each module consisted of!!”
— RD, Registered Nurse

“I believe in our profession we start out with a caring attitude, its foundational. But this course has built on that foundation and taken me along roads as interesting and varied as body language and what it says, heartbreaking videos of personal loss and bravery, theory in how to do this real and artful science so much better, and the poetry and suggestion of nuance which informs everything. In applying these new teachings, a lot of soul will creep back into my medicine, I will grow as a human being and it will help to make a very sad time and space a privilege to share with the patients and families, in the hope of providing them the support they need.”
— IL, Doctor

The following two comprehensive courses will be offered in 2026 and are now open for registration:

Comprehensive 4-month course on Perinatal Palliative Care

This course will run from 1 February – 31 May 2026 requiring ±4 hours per week of study time. It is open to all professionals involved in caring for pregnant mothers and newborns — including doctors, midwives, nurses, sonographers, and counsellors. Participants earn 30 CPD points (5 Ethics, 25 General) accredited by the Colleges of Medicine of South Africa (CMSA).
Fee: R3,800 (Approx. US$220 | €190 | £165) with a 10% discount for PatchSA members, instalment options, and a limited number of partial bursaries.

Comprehensive 9-month course on Paediatric Palliative Care

This course will run from 1 March – 30 November 2026 requiring ±2 hours per week of study time. Designed for the full multidisciplinary team — doctors, nurses, social workers, therapists, pharmacists, counsellors, and more. Accredited for 59 CPD points (35 Ethics, 24 General) by CMSA.
Fee: R7,500 (Approx. US$435) with a 10% discount for PatchSA members, instalments options, and a limited number of partial bursaries.

Both programmes are led by Sr Tracy Rawlins, PatchSA’s Education & Training Manager, with guidance from members of the Patch Academy Training Team. Learners benefit from expert facilitation, personalised feedback, and an international community of peers.

For those who prefer self-paced study, Patch Academy also offers stand-alone CPD accredited online courses, including a Perinatal & Neonatal Palliative Care module (8 CPD points – 4 Ethics & 4 General).

Join a global learning community

By choosing to take a course through Patch Academy, you’re joining a growing international community of professionals dedicated to improving the quality of life for children and families facing life-limiting conditions. You’ll gain practical, compassionate, and evidence-based skills and the confidence to make a meaningful difference in your work.

Explore all our courses and enrol today through the Patch Academy website.