One in 10 Canberrans Is Waiting to See a Medical Specialist

In Canberra, Australia's capital city, more than one in ten residents are waiting to see a medical specialist through the public health system. New figures show that about 65,000 people are currently on a waitlist for outpatient appointments at public hospitals in the ACT. Some people have already been waiting for more than four years, and health officials say the problem is serious. Canberra Health Services (CHS) has publicly shared this number for the first time and launched a review to understand why demand is so high.

One family affected by the long wait is that of Billie Spencer, a grandmother from Canberra. Her five-year-old granddaughter has been struggling with extreme tiredness, finding it hard to stay awake at school and focus on her work. A doctor referred the girl to a specialist, but the family was told the wait for a public appointment could be more than three years. Because the wait was so long, the family felt they had no choice but to pay for private healthcare instead.

Ms. Spencer said she was deeply upset by the situation. She called it 'disgusting' that families have to pay large amounts of money just to get their health needs met. 'I believe in quality healthcare access for everybody regardless of your financial status,' she said. She added that she felt frustrated and sad that the public health system had reached this point.

A Canberra man named Michael Hickey has also been caught up in the long wait. He has a genetic condition in his hand that slowly causes him to lose the use of it if it is not treated. Mr. Hickey had already waited more than four years to see a specialist when he was told he would need to wait another two and a half years on top of that. He described his reaction as being 'gobsmacked,' meaning he was completely shocked.

Mr. Hickey said nobody told him the wait would be so long when he first joined the list. He was frustrated that wait times were not shared with patients upfront, so they could decide whether to seek private care. 'Why aren't the figures made known up front?' he asked. He said his condition does not stop him from living his life, but it makes everyday activities and hobbies harder than they need to be.

CHS launched a review of specialist and outpatient services this week, following an independent inquiry into the territory's health system. That inquiry made 49 recommendations for how things could be improved. The review will look at how patients are referred to specialists and try to understand why demand has grown so much. CHS's chief operating officer, Alison Derritt, said the health service knows the waitlist is a serious problem.

Ms. Derritt warned that fixing the problem will not happen quickly. 'This will be something that will take us weeks, months, and possibly up to 12 months,' she said. In the meantime, CHS said it will contact patients in the coming months to check on their conditions and confirm whether they still need an appointment. For families like Ms. Spencer's and people like Mr. Hickey, every extra week of waiting feels like a very long time.