"Upsetting administration process"

Dear avocetfnq53,

Thank you for taking the time to share your experience.

We are genuinely sorry to hear how distressing and frustrating this process has been for you and your partner, particularly while you are already managing significant health‑related stress. We acknowledge that travel for medical care is often undertaken during very difficult circumstances, and we regret that your interactions with PATS have added to that burden.

The Kimberley PATS team aims to support patients and carers with compassion while also ensuring that assistance is provided in line with state PATS guidelines and eligibility requirements. These guidelines are set at a statewide level and outline when travel, accommodation, and support person assistance can be approved. Unfortunately, this means that our staff are sometimes required to seek clarification or additional information before bookings can be confirmed, even when a clinician has recommended support.

With respect to support person approvals, PATS staff do not seek private medical information unnecessarily, however the guidelines require confirmation that a support person is clinically required and at times clinicians may need to provide further clinical justification to meet these criteria. We recognise that this can feel intrusive and upsetting, and we are sorry for the distress this caused you. Protecting patient dignity and privacy is very important to us, and we continue to encourage clinicians to provide only the minimum information required to support an application.

We also acknowledge your feedback regarding the perception of barriers. Please be assured that it is never our intention to make the process difficult. The Kimberley region presents additional logistical challenges, and while this does not lessen the impact on patients and carers, we remain committed to working collaboratively and respectfully to find solutions wherever possible.

Your feedback is important and helps us identify areas where communication and processes can be improved. If you would like to discuss your experience further, or if you feel a decision has not appropriately considered your circumstances, we encourage you to contact your local PATS office. Contact information can be found here: WA Country Health Service - PATS contacts.

Thank you again for raising your concerns. We appreciate the opportunity to listen and to continue improving how we support patients and carers accessing essential medical care.

Kind regards,

Jemma Waters