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"Patient country transfer for minor procedure"

About: Karratha Health Campus / Emergency Department Patient Assisted Travel Scheme - WACHS Pilbara Perth Children's Hospital

(as a parent/guardian),

My child broke their arm recently, we had good care at the Karratha health campus but a poor experience with the communication and process around patient transfer and our experience and lack of empathy, consistent information or timely service from PATs Pilbara .

We have arrived to the Perth Children’s Hospital now where we have been for two nights and have been waiting a day and a half for the procedure. I understand that other children are more sick but the thing that upsets me most is just that if we lived in the city, I believe my child would have had this done a lot sooner their arm would already be healing and probably have been put back into place on day one.

Because we live in the country but it’s not a life threatening injury we feel disadvantaged already with what we have to go through with travel and leave other children and work behind just to manage a minor injury but then having to be put at the end of the queue after already waiting a week to have the injury managed is disappointing and it’s a shame country patients always as a result receive poorer care, in my opinion.

We don’t want someone else to suffer because of my child's treatment but some recognition and priority given the other factors around country travel for families even for minor injuries because of the distance they are away from the rest of the family just to manage a basic broken arm in a child. It’s a little frustrating and a huge use of time and resources for everybody .

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Responses

Response from Marie Slater, A/Executive Director Perth Children's Hospital & Neonatology, Executive, Child and Adolescent Health Service 2 months ago
Marie Slater
A/Executive Director Perth Children's Hospital & Neonatology, Executive,
Child and Adolescent Health Service
Submitted on 4/05/2026 at 4:04 PM
Published on Care Opinion Australia on 5/05/2026 at 9:38 AM


Dear echosh66,

Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback and for outlining your experience relating to Perth Children’s Hospital (PCH). We recognise that families living in remote and rural communities face additional challenges when accessing specialist paediatric care. Travel, time away from family and work, and the disruption to normal routines can place a significant burden on families and we understand how difficult and frustrating this can be.

At PCH, all patients are triaged and scheduled for procedures based on clinical need to ensure children who are most unwell receive care as safely and promptly as possible. We also understand, however, that waiting for treatment after travelling a significant distance can feel especially exhausting, and we acknowledge the impact this has had on your family’s experience.

If you need further support or would like your specific circumstances reviewed, we encourage you to contact our Child and Family Liaison Service team by calling 6456 0032 or by email at CAHSFeedback@health.wa.gov.au. The team can help explore available supports, clarify processes, and assist with concerns related to care coordination while at the PCH.

Your feedback is valued and helps inform our ongoing efforts to improve communication, understanding, and support for families accessing care at PCH and we appreciate you bringing this to our attention.

Best wishes

Marie

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Response from Nhuan Ho, District Director, West Pilbara, WA Country Health Service (WACHS) Pilbara last month
Nhuan Ho
District Director, West Pilbara,
WA Country Health Service (WACHS) Pilbara
Submitted on 26/05/2026 at 7:02 PM
Published on Care Opinion Australia on 27/05/2026 at 9:23 AM


picture of Nhuan Ho

Dear echosh66

Thank you for taking the time to share your experience following your child’s recent injury. I am pleased to hear your child received good care at Karratha Health Campus, and I am very sorry that the travel and transfer process caused additional stress for your family.

We recognise that travelling to Perth for treatment places a significant burden on regional families. Being away from home, work and other children while waiting for care can be very challenging, and we appreciate you sharing the impact this has had on you.

I’m very sorry and was concerned to read your feedback regarding your experience with Pilbara PATS. Your feedback has been shared with the team for reflection and identifying opportunities to improve.

To enable us to better understand your experience of the communication and process around patient transfer I would really appreciate the opportunity to discuss with you in detail what happened. I am available to take an email via Nhuan.Ho@health.wa.gov.au or call me on (08) 9144 7777 if would like to accept my invitation.

I hope your child is healing well and I look forward to hearing from you in the near future.

Warm regards

Nhuan Ho

District Director West Pilbara

WA Country Health Service (WACHS) Pilbara

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