Ultrasound wait unacceptable: patients

Hedland patients who need urgent ultrasound tests say they have been waiting more than a month to get an appointment.

One resident, who discussed her story at a recent regional health forum with Member for Pilbara Brendon Grylls, said she waited six weeks for an emergency booking.

But Hedland Health Campus operations manager Brian Wilson said the campus provided an ultrasound service for public patients five days a week from 8am-4pm, with urgent bookings seen immediately.

The woman, who did not wish to be named, said she went back to her GP three times for referrals but was still told she would have to wait six weeks for an ultrasound, despite the fact that doctors were unsure if she had cancer.

“I’m flying to Sydney next week because I can’t get the treatment I need in Hedland, ” she said.

“You’re pretty much told you’ve got cancer and it was going to take six weeks for imaging, six weeks to see a gynaecologist and if there is a chance that you’re going to have something scary, waiting six months to be diagnosed is not an option.”

Another resident, whose medical test request documents have been seen by the North West Telegraph, said he waited in pain for 32 days for an appointment with a referral marked urgent, only to be later diagnosed with throat cancer.

Mr Wilson said the services were outsourced due to a nationwide shortage of sonographers and provided in Hedland by Perth-based staff that fly in and fly out.

“On average between 340 to 360 ultrasounds are performed each month, ” he said.

“The sonographer reviews all bookings and is involved in the prioritisation of the patients.

“An urgent booking will be seen immediately in Port Hedland. Non-urgent and non-admitted patients may wait up to approximately four weeks.

“A process exists to monitor the waitlist and increase the number of sonographers to ensure waiting times are clinically appropriate.”

Labor Mining and Pastoral MLC Stephen Dawson said he was concerned people were waiting too long to access important services.

He said he believed improving health services in the Pilbara would be a “really valid use” of Royalties for Regions money.

“We’ve now got enough new buildings, I think we should start using that money to increase the level of service in the communities, ” Mr Dawson said.