Child health service in $39m expansion
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The Child Development Service will go through an expansion and staff increase as part of a $39 million funding boost to ease "unprecedented" demand for the service.
The state government today announced a $39 million allocation in the 2024-25 budget for the Child Development Service (CDS), operated by Child and Adolescent Health Service in the metropolitan area and the WA Country Health Service for the regional service.
A multidisciplinary team of paediatricians and allied health clinicians provide both assessment and intervention services through the CDS.
Health Minister Amber-Jade Sanderson said the CDS catered for kids from Kununnura to Albany, covering 2.5 million square kilometres.
The CDS has experienced an unprecedented surge in demand amid a worldwide shortage of paediatricians, the state government said.
The state government also claimed referrals to CDS paediatricians have risen by 132 per cent in the past decade.
“There is no other service in the country that does what the CDS does,” Ms Sanderson said.
“Demand growth for CDS has been far exceeding what you would expect for our population, with referrals growing at an unprecedented rate.
“This $39 million investment will pave the way for a major uplift in CDS staff, especially in clinical roles, and ensures this vital service meets the needs of WA kids and families.”
The $39 million investment will include infrastructure funding to lease temporary accommodation for staff.
An increase in clinical staff in the metro and regional areas includes paediatricians, clinical nurse specialists, speech pathologists, occupational therapists, psychologists and audiologists.