Lack of specialists in juvenile arthritis a barrier for children in need of diagnosis and treatment
ABCFrom the outside, Rohan Penny-Bell seems like a regular six-year-old. Key points: It took some time for Rohan to be diagnosed with juvenile arthritis His mother says they struggled to get him care and had to leave Canberra to access a specialist ACT Health Minister Rachel Stephen-Smith says there are few specialists, even beyond Canberra He loves colouring in, drawing and playing with his friends. "We're lucky that Rohan is a National Disability Insurance Scheme participant because these things are really expensive," Ms Penny said. ACT Health Minister Rachel Stephen-Smith said the government was committed to improving services and was working with the Sydney Children's Hospital Network to establish a shared-care model, which would involve flying a specialist from Sydney to Canberra on a regular basis. "My understanding is that there are only about five paediatric rheumatologists in the whole of New South Wales so it's unlikely that we would have someone base themselves here permanently," Ms Stephen-Smith said.
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