Longest delays for medical imaging scans on Coast

THE Gold Coast has some of the worst waits on medical imaging in Australia, with a severe shortage in radiography and sonography staff nationwide being felt most here.

Ultrasound patients are waiting up to 16 weeks for their appointments at the Gold Coast Hospital. MRI and CT scan appointments can take up to 10 weeks.

Imaging experts have said there is a staff shortage Australia-wide, with high standards and the skill expectations of graduates to blame.

The situation is so bad here that Gold Coast GPs do not even refer their patients to the public system.

Waiting times at private facilities are the same or next day but bulk billing imaging services at some private facilities take up to two weeks.

Gold Coast Hospital has confirmed the problem, stating it is 'experiencing significant demand on its services'.

Gold Coast Health Service District chief executive Adrian Nowitzke said there were long waits for non-urgent appointments.

But a Gold Coast mum whose pregnancy was deemed 'high risk' said she could not even get an ultrasound the hospital told her she needed.

Kymberly Salmon was 28 weeks pregnant when she found out her baby may have had a problem with his bowel.

"They rang me once and cancelled and said they couldn't do it as they didn't have staff. They made an appointment for the next day and I got turned away when I got there but they put it on to my records that I didn't show up," she said.

"They said they could make an appointment for me in three weeks and I was considered a high-risk pregnancy at the time."

Ms Salmon had to pay to go private instead to ensure she got the scan she needed.

A sign in the reception area of the Medical Imaging department of the hospital outlined the problem but was removed after the hospital was contacted about it.

Gold Coast Medical Association president Dr Philip Morris said the radiographer shortage had been a problem for three years.

"It's very disappointing to see the problem hasn't been corrected," he said.

Gold Coast Division of General Practice president Dr Michael Wright said there had always been delays with the hospital.

"You tend not to refer people to the hospital unless you really need to," he said.

South Coast Radiology partner Dr David Smit said there was also a shortage in private practice.

Australian Sonographers Association chief executive Elaine Trevaskis said there was a shortage of sonographers everywhere.

She said the shortage was because the level of qualifications required for sonographers in Australia were quite high compared to the situation overseas.