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PATS negligence

Posted By Chiari93

"PATS negligence"

About: Patient Assisted Travel Scheme - WACHS Midwest

(as the patient),

I submitted a PATS form recently at the Geraldton office for an MRI appointment that has been booked for early next month at a centre in Perth.

The form indicated that it was recommended that air travel was required due to my condition.

Since this has been submitted, I have just been informed that my form has been rejected because they wanted me to use the MRI services in Geraldton. While I know we have the option to do this here in Geraldton, I believe the machine and image quality will be poorer to the quality at the other centre. Also, the most important part of this is that, as I understand it, the Geraldton offices will have me waiting months for an appointment and will cost over $500, while the other appointment was in a couple of weeks and my Medicare would cover the full cost.

I have had issues with the staff at the Geraldton PATS office in the past for being rude to me, I believe complaining about my form options that have been filled out and diminishing my care. This, however, is the final straw and I feel that I have lost the confidence in the Geraldton PATS office as I believe they have failed yet again to assist me and have again made me feel inferior and very angry that they are not taking my condition and application seriously. 

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Responses

Response from Karen Street, Director Population Health, WACHS Midwest nearly 2 years ago
Karen Street
Director Population Health,
WACHS Midwest

Submitted on 26/05/2022 at 11:40 AM
Published on Care Opinion at 11:59 AM

picture of Karen Street

Dear Chiari93,

Thank you for taking the time to share your story on Care Opinion.

The Patient Assisted Travel Scheme (PATS) is a subsidy to assist those living in country Western Australia to access eligible specialist medical services that may not available locally. PATS does not differentiate between public and privately available services. You are correct that there is the option of MRI services in Geraldton however in certain circumstances the MRI facilities in Perth are a preferred option and PATS support can be provided if strict eligibility criteria are met. The PATS team may have asked for further supporting documentation from you and your referring clinician which will help us to assess if you meet these eligibility criteria. Further information on PATS including eligibility criteria and some very useful Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) can be found at WA Country Health Service - Patient Assisted Travel Scheme - PATS

I am very sorry you feel the Geraldton PATS office staff have been rude and you have lost confidence in them. I can assure you they are committed to working with consumers to complete successful applications in a compassionate manner. I will share your feedback with them and allow reflection and discussion on how we can better support our consumers navigate the PATS application process.

I would be very happy to speak with you to hear more about your story and confirm what we can do to support you on your healthcare journey. My name is Karen Street, I am the Director Population Health, WA Country Health Service Midwest, I can be reached on (08) 9956 1965 or Karen.Street@health.wa.gov.au

Kind Regards

Karen Street

Director Population Health / Regional Coordinator PATS Midwest

WA Country Health Service Midwest

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