Letters to the Editor

After suffering back pain for some years now I was finally sent for a CT Scan that showed possible significant damage.

I was then referred to a Orthopaedic Doctor at CAMU, Canberra. After spending about five minutes with him I was informed I required a MRI Scan and more x-rays.

I was also told that I needed to see another orthopaedic surgeon that specialised in backs.

So far so good. I was then informed that the specialist was in Timor, not back until October, only visited CAMU once a month and the first appointment was 19 November - two-and-a-half months away.

I then asked the doctor what type of exercise or activity I could do until then, the answer, nothing to aggravate the injury - which means what?

My questions are, why an injury as common and as serious as a back injury is so poorly catered for?

Why is a doctor only available once a month?

Why soldiers have to sit in limbo for such a long period of time? I would like to hear from other soldiers if this is common practice.

Sgt D. Morley
ARTC
Kapooka, NSW

Cmdr A. McLaren, SO1MS, DJHSA replies:

The Defence Health Service provides medical treatment to ADF members through a variety of private specialists.

It is preferred, where possible, to use specialists with some military experience and those who are willing to consult and operate at military facilities, thereby saving the majority of ADF members the inconvenience of travelling to appointments.

Some cases require attention in a sub-specialist field, where the availability of experienced and highly competent doctors is limited.

If it should happen that the specialist is away, one must consider the relative merits of referral to another specialist or waiting until the preferred specialist returns.

In the interests of providing a high standard, quality health service, and providing the best overall outcome for the member, it may be that the best option is to wait until the preferred specialist returns.

Treatment times for ADF patients compare favourably to those experienced by civilians, where it is common to wait three months or more for a non-emergency referral.

The Defence Health Service standards for access to specialist care are relatively strict, being seven days for urgent cases, 30 days for semi-urgent and 60 days for non-urgent.

This particular case was non-urgent, and the second specialist appointment was 55 days after the first.