00:00Like many 12-year-olds, Henry Witham enjoys playing sport.
00:05But that's only possible after a long recovery.
00:08In October 2021, he had a fall here on the farm,
00:13which led to quite a severe concussion and a traumatic brain injury.
00:17His family had to find specialists to help him walk and talk again,
00:21a tough task when you live 300km south-east of Perth.
00:25Yeah, Henry's doing really well.
00:27After struggling to find a paediatrician,
00:29the Withams secured teleconference consultations
00:32with a Melbourne-based specialist.
00:34If we hadn't have found him or a paediatrician,
00:38I'd just hate to think where we would still be.
00:41The number of children waiting for a public paediatrician in WA
00:45has increased from almost 6,000 to just under 10,000 in two years.
00:50That's pushed waiting lists to well over a year for paediatricians
00:54with many refusing new patients.
00:56They're very family-orientated and they want the best for children,
01:00so they don't want long waiting lists and they're doing their very best.
01:04How are you feeling today?
01:06The state government earmarked $39 million in the budget
01:09for an expansion of child development services.
01:12That's a catch-up after the last significant injection of funding,
01:17which was $50 million in 2010,
01:20which was $50 million in 2010,
01:22and even at that stage didn't address the problem.
01:25A recent parliamentary report has recommended
01:28giving GPs and nurse practitioners a greater role.
01:31In the meantime, parents are turning to telehealth for support,
01:34but the AMA warns desperate families to be aware
01:37that some health professionals are charging exorbitant rates
01:40for poor quality service.
01:42It's an issue which hits regional patients harder.
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