Bayview Heights mum Melanie Smethurst worried about family’s wellbeing in a city lacking doctors

A shortage of paediatricians in Cairns combined with the public hospital’s huge patient backlog has forced a family to consider interstate options if their four-month-old son is to receive timely surgery.

Bayview Heights mother Melanie Smethurst has a healthy family of four children and if she was living in a large metropolitan area she wouldn’t have much concern about the surgery her youngest, Lennox, needs, beyond it going well.

But because the family lives in the Far North, the paediatric doctors at the Cairns Hospital aren’t available to treat her Lennox in the time-frame they require.

Ms Smethurst is now having to look for availability of surgeons in major cities, including those interstate.

Lennox, four months old, has a semi-common congenital lower-body issue easily rectified with a keyhole surgical procedure, but harmful to his long-term health if left unchecked beyond his first birthday.

“They said around three months we’d do an ultrasound and at six months if nothing had changed we’d talk about surgery,” Ms Smethurst said.

Melanie Smethurst with her son Lennox. Picture: Isaac McCarthy

“We still haven’t had the ultrasound. I called when I didn’t hear from them … that’s when I spoke to Cairns referrals and they told me they had a backlog from prior to Covid for paediatric surgery.

“They told me the approximate wait time was three years, because of the lack of specialists here.”

Ms Smethurst said her GP hadn’t told her the procedure could be done in the Cairns Private Hospital.

“That’s why I’m thinking to go down to Melbourne because the Royal Children’s Hospital and Monash were really accommodating and said they’d accept a referral from up here,” she said.

“As a mum I’m pushing for it to be done, but people in other circumstances might just be waiting the three years.”

Ms Smethurst said she was happy with her prior experience with hospital staff at Cairns Hospital, but her concern was there weren’t enough specialist doctors to provide the spectrum of health services to a population, inclusive of the Torres and Cape region.

Melanie Smethurst is considering travelling interstate with her son, Lennox, so he can receive timely paediatric surgery. Picture: Isaac McCarthy

“We have a similar population to Townsville, so I’m not sure why up here we’re lacking specialist doctors. What do we need to do to bring them up here?” she said.

“It does make me worried every time whenever we need to go to hospital. It would be nice to see Cairns Base have some of these specialist doctors.”

Dr Don Mackie, CHHHS executive director of medical services, said paediatric surgery at Cairns Hospital was provided by the Townsville Hospital and Health service (THHS).

“It is important that surgery for young children is undertaken in highly specialised units such as Townsville University Hospital. Our paediatric team has a collaborative referral process with Townsville,” Dr Mackie said.

“Cairns Hospital provides a 24-hour general paediatric ward and outpatients service, which currently employ nine full-time equivalent medical staff and approximately 46 full-time equivalent nursing staff.”

Kieran Keyes, Chief Executive Officer at Townsville University Hospital. Picture: Shae Beplate.

Kieran Keyes, THHS chief executive, said the wait for non-urgent elective paediatric surgery is up to two years.

“A paediatric surgeon visits the Cairns Hospital 27 times a year to see patients in an outpatient clinic while those who then require surgery are referred to Townsville University Hospital for their procedure,” Mr Keyes said.

“The current wait time for elective paediatric surgery at TUH has significantly increased for several reasons. These include the retirement of the only private practising paediatric surgeon in Cairns as well as the impacts of Covid-19 surgery pauses.

“We are currently in the final stages of recruiting more paediatric surgeons to ensure we can continue to deliver these services to paediatric patients and their families across North Queensland, including those in Cairns.

“I’d encourage any patients with concerns about their child’s surgery to speak with their treating surgeon, or speak to their local hospital’s patient feedback team.”

Originally published as Bayview Heights mum Melanie Smethurst worried about family’s wellbeing in a city lacking doctors