❓ Ms Mettam questions the Minister for Health regarding long wait times for paediatrician appointments, particularly within Child Development Services (CDS). The Minister acknowledges the issue, highlighting increased funding and initiatives to improve access.
AnsweredQoN 204Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
Child development services
204. Ms Libby Mettam to
the Minister for Health:
I refer to the Perth
mother who has been advised that her child will have to wait at least 42 months
to see a paediatrician.
(1) Is this acceptable?
(2) How is it that the government cannot explain
this delay for this child?
(3) Does the minister find it acceptable that the
average wait time across the state to see a paediatrician is 22.8 months?
204. Ms Libby Mettam to
the Minister for Health:
I refer to the Perth
mother who has been advised that her child will have to wait at least 42 months
to see a paediatrician.
(1) Is this acceptable?
(2) How is it that the government cannot explain
this delay for this child?
(3) Does the minister find it acceptable that the
average wait time across the state to see a paediatrician is 22.8 months?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(3) I thank the member for the question.
We know how important child development services are for Western Australian
children and their families. We are incredibly proud of our CDS, as it is
called. It is unlike any other service in the country because it provides both
diagnosis and treatment for the children that it sees. For that reason, we are
incredibly proud of it and the work that it is doing.
We are always concerned to hear
stories about people having difficulty accessing the assistance they need. That
is why in last year's budget, we made a commitment to increase the CDS budget
by almost $40 million to increase staffing by 100 across a range of different
disciplines and locations. This was, and is, the largest staffing uplift in
child development services in over 10 years. It is a significant investment
into making sure we have additional staff in that service.
We know that the waitlist
continues to grow and there is demand in the community. We are always looking
at what more we can do; hence, as I say, the uplift of $39 million just last
year. But we have not stopped there. We are looking at other ways we can ensure
that we are maximising the access parents and children have to those services.
As part of that, we have co-located child development services in the recently opened community hubs in Midland, which
opened in September 2024, and Murdoch, which opened in December last year.
We are trialling Saturday opening hours at two CDS sites, in Joondalup and
Rockingham, to provide more access for families, and we are commencing a
nurse-led pilot program that provides new treatment pathways for kids with
attention and concentration issues. Those trials are underway at Armadale and
Joondalup.
As I have said before, we are
always looking at what more we can do. As well as the increase in funding, the 100
additional staff and looking at different ways we can deliver care, we will
continue to look at what more we can do.
We know how important child development services are for Western Australian
children and their families. We are incredibly proud of our CDS, as it is
called. It is unlike any other service in the country because it provides both
diagnosis and treatment for the children that it sees. For that reason, we are
incredibly proud of it and the work that it is doing.
We are always concerned to hear
stories about people having difficulty accessing the assistance they need. That
is why in last year's budget, we made a commitment to increase the CDS budget
by almost $40 million to increase staffing by 100 across a range of different
disciplines and locations. This was, and is, the largest staffing uplift in
child development services in over 10 years. It is a significant investment
into making sure we have additional staff in that service.
We know that the waitlist
continues to grow and there is demand in the community. We are always looking
at what more we can do; hence, as I say, the uplift of $39 million just last
year. But we have not stopped there. We are looking at other ways we can ensure
that we are maximising the access parents and children have to those services.
As part of that, we have co-located child development services in the recently opened community hubs in Midland, which
opened in September 2024, and Murdoch, which opened in December last year.
We are trialling Saturday opening hours at two CDS sites, in Joondalup and
Rockingham, to provide more access for families, and we are commencing a
nurse-led pilot program that provides new treatment pathways for kids with
attention and concentration issues. Those trials are underway at Armadale and
Joondalup.
As I have said before, we are
always looking at what more we can do. As well as the increase in funding, the 100
additional staff and looking at different ways we can deliver care, we will
continue to look at what more we can do.
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