WHEN Moree mum Katherine McLane realised her son Jacob needed specialist care, she didn't think she'd have to wait a year and drive to the Gold Coast to see a paediatrician.
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"We noticed at an early age Jacob had some learning difficulties," said Ms McLane, who is training in child education.
The struggle to access both a diagnosis and the help she needed for her child turned out to be lengthy and expensive.
"I know the first five years of a child's life are crucial, yet we spent most of those years trying to have our child properly diagnosed," Ms McLane said.
Her plight to access a paediatrician is typical of many Moree families, living in a town of around 7000 people with no paediatrician.
Mother-of-three and early childhood teacher Leah Honour can understand.
Her "big, long, emotional journey" to have two of her children seen by a paediatrician took two years.
"In Moree, it takes two months just to see a GP for a referral to a paediatrician," Ms Honour said.
"Then there was the four-hour trip across the border to Toowoomba, only to be told by that paediatrician they could not write scripts for patients from NSW."
One of Ms Honour's children has ADHD, another obsessive compulsive disorder and both have been diagnosed with coeliac disease.
Ms Honour said the experience with trying to access a paediatrician need to be streamlined.
"I had to wait two months to see my regular doctor," Ms Honour said. "Then I had to show supporting reasons as to why I wanted my child to see a paediatrician.
"I was referred to a paediatrician in Tamworth, but then I was told, 'our books are closed', so then it got down to whoever, wherever, whatever."
The Honours were able to afford a private visit, but had to wait a year before their scheduled appointment with a paediatrician in Toowoomba.
"That was a consultation over Zoom and we paid $350," Ms Honour said.
"The follow-up, in-person consult cost $500."
Another problem was the need for a new referral every 12 months.
"We did that for a couple of years but it became impossible," Ms Honour said.
Many parents in Moree rely on a fly-in, fly-out paediatrician from Armidale who makes monthly visits, including to the local Aboriginal Medical Service. Waiting lists are managed through Armidale Hospital.
Ms McLane said when she first went to her GP for a referral to see a paediatrician, she took the best option of a four-hour trip to Toowoomba.
She still waited six months for an appointment.
"We had to do the trip in a day because we didn't want to pay for accommodation and I had to take time off work," Ms McLane said.
Another month went by before Jacob was seen again, however, the paediatrician in Toowoomba was unable to write medical scripts for patients living in NSW.
"For Jacob's medication we would have had to drive an hour-and-a-half to Goondiwindi, so it was back to square one," Ms McLane said.
A lucky break came when a teacher at Jacob's school recommended a paediatrician on the Gold Coast.
"That was a six-hour trip, but we have family in Brisbane where we can stay overnight," Ms McLane said.
"We managed to get Jacob in within two months, only because of a cancellation. We were lucky."
In all, it took a year for her son to be diagnosed, however, the wait was worth it. Jacob only needs to see the paediatrician annually, with check-ups conducted via Skype and furthermore, this Queensland paediatrician is able to write scripts for patients living in NSW.
Ms Honour also now counts herself as fortunate, with her kids having six monthly appointments with the visiting paediatrician.
"It's been a big, long, emotional journey but it is okay now," Ms Honour said.
The Australian Medical Association NSW recognised "a very significant issue with access to paediatric services in rural, regional and remote areas".
"This is particularly concerning as there is no end in sight with no practical plan for resolution of this issue," a spokesperson for the association said.
Hunter New England Local Health District is aware of the crisis and is trying to address the issue.
The service is one of two public healthcare providers in NSW taking part in a three-year trial aimed at helping children aged between six and 12 years diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.
It has also appointed three new paediatricians to Tamworth Hospital, to help improve access for families in the New England North West.
Families can access specialist care closer to home through the virtualKIDS Urgent Care Service via referral from healthdirect (1800 022 222). This service uses video conferencing technology to connect families with a paediatric nurse, to determine the best care pathways based on a child's needs, which helps to avoid unnecessary hospital visits and potentially long waits to be seen.
