A whirlwind of unproductive doctor’s appointments and rejected referrals has been the life of the local Palmer family since October last year.
Hold tight - we’re checking permissions before loading more content
When David and Naurelle Palmer’s son was first diagnosed with a UTI neither of them anticipated the months of uncertainty ahead of them.
“They said it was very unusual for a male to have a UTI, it’s very unusual for a six-year-old to have a UTI, and it’s even more unusual for it to have E. coli and be this recurrent,” Ms Palmer said.
The Palmers have since had five referrals, two of which were rejected, and two they haven’t even heard anything back from.
Two of the rejected referrals from the Royal Children’s Hospital recommended the family go to a closer specialist; however, Ms Palmer said that the Children’s, which is a 75-minute drive from Seymour (not accounting for traffic), is the closest hospital with a paediatric urologist.
It was only recently that they received a response from a paediatrician in Keilor, which Ms Palmer said would involve another referral process to a urologist.
“We’re basically going to be paying $400 even though we know that it’s not going to solve the problem,” Ms Palmer said.
“I’m sure we’re not even anywhere near the finish line.”
Mr Palmer said that while this process was taking place, his son was left in pain that still hadn’t been treated.
“He’s not the type of kid that has a whinge because he has a grazed knee, he’s in tears, and really, really sick,” Mr Palmer said.
This isn’t the only time that the Palmers have reported experiencing a sense of “limbo” with the healthcare system.
Their daughter was referred to a specialist in August 2024, but still hasn’t heard anything back.
“We don’t know if it’s rejected or if there’s going to be an appointment forthcoming or not, and if there is an appointment, will it be in two weeks or two years?” Ms Palmer said.
“You just feel like you’re in this limbo, you don’t know what direction you’re going in.”
They have also experienced a roundabout of unanswered questions trying to get their son assessed for ADHD and autism.
“We went round and round in circles, and we went from this specialist to that, and there was just no-one able to complete the assessment,” Ms Palmer said.
The Palmers said at the crux of this all was the lack of services available in regional areas.
Seymour is a centre of services for many smaller surrounding towns; however, the termination of things such as antenatal and maternity services at Seymour Health has left locals worried for the future of health care in the town.
And while they were appreciative of our hard-working local healthcare workers, the Palmers said the lack of services in the region was impacting community members in Seymour and surrounds.
“We’re the ones with the privilege, imagine the ones who don’t have this privilege,” Ms Palmer said.
“Everything’s banked up because of that lack of services and that lack of doctors and that lack of availability.”
“What incentive is there for anyone who’s looking to get into the industry?” Mr Palmer asked.
“Why would anyone come here?”
The Palmers initially made contact with The Telegraph in response to an article published in the March 26 paper.
The article, headlined Health Services Plan Under Fire, featured a debate on the state of regional health care between state Member for Euroa Annabelle Cleeland and the Victorian Health Minister Mary-Anne Thomas.
Mr Palmer, who was displeased with comments made by Ms Thomas, submitted a letter to the editor expressing his concern.
“This is just another example of this government bulldozing over good, hard-working, decent people for a city-centric agenda,” Mr Palmer wrote.
The Telegraph contacted the government to address the concerns made by Mr Palmer in his letter.
“We know that delays in accessing care can be frustrating, particularly for regional and rural Victorians — that’s why we are expanding access to care through our Local Health Services Networks,” a government spokesperson said.
“Being linked through a network will help to ensure there are stronger referral pathways between all our health services — freeing up beds in our busier hospitals and ensuring Victorians can get care sooner, closer to home, while also taking pressure off our dedicated workforce.
“Victorians can’t trust Brad Battin’s Liberal Coalition Cuts Squad — under their watch hospitals were closed and privatised in every corner of the state, and they are once again spreading fear and lies.”
Mr Palmer said he felt there was a “complete disconnection” between politicians and locals in regional areas, which was leaving small communities behind.
“It’s a systematic problem, and it’s getting worse, and attitudes like that (Ms Thomas’ response to Ms Cleeland) are not only not helping and not fixing the problem, it’s making it worse and throwing sand in our eyes,” Mr Palmer said.
“It’s not even a dismissal, because we’re not even heard.
“These people don’t see this because they don’t live in our reality.
“The writing is already on the wall, we’re out in the middle of the pool just trying to get to the edge and no-one’s throwing us a floaty.”
Cadet Journalist