Paediatric rheumatologists are warning a national shortage of specialists is leaving thousands of children with juvenile arthritis living in pain. A Commonwealth inquiry three years ago called for a dramatic increase to clinicians in the field. And while some progress has been made, advocates say education and training isn't on track to help meet the target.
00:00Visual artist Sinead was diagnosed with juvenile arthritis at 9 years of age.
00:07I had to take almost an entire term off school, spent most of those days in my bed.
00:13The inflammatory autoimmune condition affects around 6,000 Australian children under the age of 16.
00:19It attacks the joints and the eyes and sometimes the skin and internal organs.
00:23Sinead was lucky to get a quick diagnosis, but the average time is 10 months.
00:27Ten months is way too long. We should be seeing children within a month or two.
00:34Early diagnosis is critical to keeping that window of opportunity to try and beat the disease into remission
00:40so the joints stay healthy and they avoid lifelong pain and disability.
00:44In 2021, there were less than 10 paediatric rheumatologists working full-time in Australia.
00:49A year later, a federal inquiry recommended the number of clinicians triple by 2030.
00:54Recent data shows the number has increased to 27 specialists, but most of those positions aren't full-time.
01:01It's a far too small a number to be able to provide the kind of care that now within the 21st century ought to be routine.
01:09Specialist training takes several years, and until recently, most trainees had to go overseas.
01:15It has been a block on people wanting to go and do that training because it's pretty onerous to then move your whole family abroad for a year or two years.
01:24The Federal Health Department says it provides $180 million a year for training across all specialist areas, including paediatric rheumatology.
01:33It says it's looking into training needs and undertaking supply and demand modelling which will be complete by the end of the year.
01:39Paediatric rheumatologists have welcomed the review, but are concerned children are slipping through the cracks while they wait for action.
