Families forced to wait up to three years to see paediatric specialists, or pay hefty costs for city appointments

For three years Jack was on a waiting list to be assessed for autism and ADHD, conditions for which, according to Autism Awareness Australia, early intervention and access to timely, specialised support is crucial.

While long waiting lists and limited access to paediatric specialists is not unique to rural South Australia — there's a shortage of paediatricians nationwide — it is cold comfort for families told of the importance of early intervention only to be unable to access it.

"Unfortunately there remains a significant shortage of non-GP specialists in many rural and regional areas," president Jacqueline Small said. "Being a parent, you know when something is wrong with your child but trying to get them diagnosed is a long, long road."If you can get in to see an or a different type of specialist, sometimes they will push for you to get the appointment with a paediatrician, otherwise you're on your own and you have to keep calling and calling.Coonawarra mother Khloe McElroy is experiencing similar long wait times to get support for her son Chace, who was also born prematurely.

She said getting an appointment seemed to be a case of being the loudest voice and continuing to call, sometimes daily, for appointments.Heather Cary, who runs speech pathology clinic Communicate Better in Mount Gambier, said there was a nationwide shortage of professionals in her industry, but the situation was "far worse" in rural and regional areas.

"It can be really heartbreaking when patients need to access specialist services which are not available locally."to travel with minimal reimbursements from PATS , placing them under financial stress and isolating them from family and support networks; orMs Bilal said regional areas were in dire need of funding for additional services, which included enticing specialists to live or travel to regional areas.

Source: Healthcare Press (healthcarepress.net)

Specialist Shortages Paediatrician Obstetrician Health Care Regional Rural GP Doctor

Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines

Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.

Man charged with multiple child abuse offences in regional New South WalesA search warrant of the man&x27;s home uncovered two mobile phones, allegedly containing over 2000 fils of child abuse material.
Source: 9NewsAUS - 🏆 10. / 72 Read more »

Wine industry fights for support amid fears regional communities will collapseWine industry representatives say they will fight for financial assistance after this week's federal budget left them disappointed.
Source: abcnews - 🏆 5. / 83 Read more »

Man charged with 70 historical sex offences in regional New South WalesInvestigators allegedly discovered four females had been sexually assaulted between 1974 and 2023, with three of them under the age of 16 at the time.
Source: 9NewsAUS - 🏆 10. / 72 Read more »

How dealing with Huntington's disease is pushing regional carers to the brinkFor years now, Natalia Rossiter has provided 24-hour care for her husband who has Huntington's disease, but she wonders how she can continue without psychological support.
Source: abcnews - 🏆 5. / 83 Read more »

Farmers want newcomers to educate themselves on risks as regional migration trend continuesThere's been an ongoing trend of people trading their city life for a charming country cottage, but farmers want you to make sure you know what you're signing up for.
Source: abcnews - 🏆 5. / 83 Read more »

Farmers want newcomers to educate themselves on risks as regional migration trend continuesThere's been an ongoing trend of people trading their city life for a charming country cottage, but farmers want you to make sure you know what you're signing up for.
Source: abcnews - 🏆 5. / 83 Read more »