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"Cat 2 referal waiting for appointment since 2019"

About: Fiona Stanley Hospital

(as the patient),

I am a clinician at another tertiary hospital in WA. Being on the front line everyday, I understand the current pressures, access block and staffing issues that the health system faces on a daily basis. 

I have been waiting since 2019 (coming up to five years!?) for a Rheumatology outpatient appointment, as a cat 2 referral. 

2 months ago, I asked my GP to submit a new referral as I truly though it had been lost in the system. I asked my GP to also refer me to the tertiary hospital I work at (also my catchment area since moving house 2 years ago), however because there was still an outstanding referral from 2019 I was again directed to FSH.

 I followed this up with a call approx. 4 weeks ago and was bounced from person to person, and eventually was put through to clerical staff at the rheum clinic who were great & escalated my concerns.

I called again more recently, and once again Bev? provided top notch customer service and noted that since my last call, my referral was escalated however there does not appear to be a response. she assured me she would put a note down to arrange either an appointment or for my referral to be sent elsewhere.

What an absolute mess in my opinion. I believe a 4-5 year wait blows all referral access criteria out of the water. I've tried to speak over the phone to discuss and rectify the issue (or at the very least have some form of communication as to what is happening) however, I feel there isn't even a user friendly way to lodge a complaint without having to place it online for the public to read...


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Responses

Response from Luke Dix, Acting Executive Director, Fiona Stanley Fremantle Hospital Group, South Metropolitan Health Service 7 months ago
Luke Dix
Acting Executive Director, Fiona Stanley Fremantle Hospital Group,
South Metropolitan Health Service
Submitted on 13/02/2025 at 2:48 PM
Published on Care Opinion Australia at 3:17 PM


picture of Luke Dix

Dear Sickofwaiting,

I am very sorry for the delay in access to specialist Rheumatology Services at FSH. Unfortunately, in the public system we are experiencing very high demand for Rheumatology services and as a result wait times are extended well beyond current triage category expectations. In addition to the high demand for services, there is a chronic and ongoing shortage of Rheumatologists around Australia. At FSH we regularly audit our waitlist aiming to reduce wait times where possible and are actively looking to recruit more Rheumatologists from within Australia and overseas.

We do have our Patient and Family Liaison Service (PFLS) at FSH which allows you to lodge your complaint in a confidential manner. The service can be contacted on 6152 4013 (Monday to Friday 8.30 am – 4.30 pm), or anytime via email: FSHFeedback@health.wa.gov.au. As Care Opinion is an anonymous platform, I would encourage you to contact the PFLS to allow us to investigate your referral further and feed back to you regarding an expected appointment time or to allow us to assist with transfer of your referral to your catchment hospital if requested.

Kindest Regards,

Luke Dix

A/Executive Director

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