Canberra health system drops children with anaphylactic reactions from allergy
Canberra Health Services removed a nine-year-old with severe anaphylactic reactions from the public children's allergy clinic.
A Canberra mother was shocked to get a letter about her nine-year-old daughter. The letter said the girl no longer qualified for a specialist allergy appointment.
The girl had been referred in January 2024. The girl had severe anaphylactic reactions.
Some were bad enough to need emergency room stays. Dr Liz Allen is an ANU academic.
She questioned this. Children at risk of death from allergic reactions do not qualify as having the greatest clinical need.
Canberra Health Services is reviewing all outpatient services. It wants to help the patients most in need.
But the children's allergy clinic has a waiting list. More than 65,000 people are waiting.
Many wait longer than six years. On social media, other parents shared similar stories.
One included a child waiting since 2018. Some families traveled to Goulburn or Sydney for private treatment.
This costs hundreds of dollars.
- Nine years old
- Child's age
- January 2024
- Referral date
- More than 65,000 people
- Total waiting list
- Longer than six years
- Allergy clinic wait time
Why it mattersHow the health system manages waiting lists for specialists matters. It affects whether children with life-threatening allergies get help on time. It affects whether families can get treatment at all.
AustraliaCanberra residents, especially families with children needing specialist allergy care, face longer waits and potential gaps in access to potentially life-saving medical services.
✓ Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish. checked 3 h ago
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