❓ Hon Stephen Dawson asked about average waiting times for various child health services in metropolitan districts. The response provides median waiting times for Child Development Services and Princess Margaret Hospital outpatients, noting data limitations and referral processes.
AnsweredQoN 3711Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
(1) By metropolitan district, what is the average waiting time to see an occupational therapist through the Child and Adolescent Health Service? (2) By metropolitan district, what is the average waiting time to see a speech pathologist through the Child and Adolescent Health Service? (3) By metropolitan district, what is the average waiting time to see a paediatrician through the Child and Adolescent Health Service? (4) By metropolitan district, what is the average waiting time to see a physiotherapist through the Child and Adolescent Health Service? (5) By metropolitan district, what is the average waiting time to see a psychologist through the Child and Adolescent Health Service?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
1 December 2015
Responded by
Parliamentary Secretary representing the Minister for Health
Response time
41 days
The median, or midpoint value, rather than the average is the standard measure utilised across Australia for the measurement of waiting times and has been utilised in the following response. This is to ensure that outlier figures do not skew the results.
Waiting times are presented below for patients treated in two distinct and separate health settings, those treated in the community Child Development Service (CDS) and those treated as outpatients at Princess Margaret Hospital.
The following figures related to patients treated in the community through CDS. CDS is a metropolitan-wide service; therefore waiting times are reported by a single metropolitan district. The current waiting times are based upon April-June 2015 data and are as follows:
(1) Occupational Therapist - 8.7 months
(2) Speech Pathologist - 8.3 months
(3) Paediatrician - 6.4 months
(4) Physiotherapist - 5.6 months
(5) Psychologist - 8.3 months
For patients treated as outpatients in Princess Margaret Hospital, the waiting time for first appointment for the month of September 2015 was as follows:
(1) Median occupational therapy waiting time for residents:
- From the North Metropolitan Health Service area: 13 days
- From the South Metropolitan Health Service area: 3 days
(2) Median speech pathology waiting time for residents:
- From the North Metropolitan Health Service area: 20 days
- From the South Metropolitan Health Service area: 13.5 days
(3) Median paediatrician waiting time for residents:
- From the North Metropolitan Health Service area: 46.5 days
- From the South Metropolitan Health Service area: 35 days
(4) Median physiotherapy waiting time for residents:
- From the North Metropolitan Health Service area: 9 days
- From the South Metropolitan Health Service area: 8.5 days
(5) There is no data available for median psychology waiting time for residents from the North Metropolitan Health Service area and South Metropolitan Health Service area.
Notes:
The median days figures outlined in this response require careful interpretation. Anecdotally, a 'first appointment' attendance at an allied health clinic (occupational therapy, speech pathology and physiotherapy) is often preceded by an initial appointment at a medical clinic followed by the patient being internally referred to the allied health clinic types. Unless a new referral is issued, the waiting time for the subsequent first appointment at the allied health clinic is measured from the original referral date.
No clinic activity could be definitely assigned to the category of Psychology and hence median waiting time data is not available.
Waiting times are presented below for patients treated in two distinct and separate health settings, those treated in the community Child Development Service (CDS) and those treated as outpatients at Princess Margaret Hospital.
The following figures related to patients treated in the community through CDS. CDS is a metropolitan-wide service; therefore waiting times are reported by a single metropolitan district. The current waiting times are based upon April-June 2015 data and are as follows:
(1) Occupational Therapist - 8.7 months
(2) Speech Pathologist - 8.3 months
(3) Paediatrician - 6.4 months
(4) Physiotherapist - 5.6 months
(5) Psychologist - 8.3 months
For patients treated as outpatients in Princess Margaret Hospital, the waiting time for first appointment for the month of September 2015 was as follows:
(1) Median occupational therapy waiting time for residents:
- From the North Metropolitan Health Service area: 13 days
- From the South Metropolitan Health Service area: 3 days
(2) Median speech pathology waiting time for residents:
- From the North Metropolitan Health Service area: 20 days
- From the South Metropolitan Health Service area: 13.5 days
(3) Median paediatrician waiting time for residents:
- From the North Metropolitan Health Service area: 46.5 days
- From the South Metropolitan Health Service area: 35 days
(4) Median physiotherapy waiting time for residents:
- From the North Metropolitan Health Service area: 9 days
- From the South Metropolitan Health Service area: 8.5 days
(5) There is no data available for median psychology waiting time for residents from the North Metropolitan Health Service area and South Metropolitan Health Service area.
Notes:
The median days figures outlined in this response require careful interpretation. Anecdotally, a 'first appointment' attendance at an allied health clinic (occupational therapy, speech pathology and physiotherapy) is often preceded by an initial appointment at a medical clinic followed by the patient being internally referred to the allied health clinic types. Unless a new referral is issued, the waiting time for the subsequent first appointment at the allied health clinic is measured from the original referral date.
No clinic activity could be definitely assigned to the category of Psychology and hence median waiting time data is not available.
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