The local resident rang a medical clinic of which she and her daughter are patients of but as her son has not had to attend the doctors in his short life, he was turned away from being accepted for an appointment.
“I called on Thursday, June 2 to try to book in my 12-month-old for his 12-month needles,” the local resident said.
“They said yes we have got an appointment on Monday at 9am which I accepted; four days with two of those being the weekend, that was fantastic.
“Then when I said his name, they said he couldn't have the appointment because we aren't regular customers, and their books were closed despite mine and my daughters’ details being on their records.
“My daughter is almost seven and has been going to the one clinic since she was six months old. She had last been there six months prior, and my son has never had to go there.
“I have never had an issue getting into either clinic for immunisations. One of the clinics is where he has had his previous immunisations as the doctor we were connected to through the Antenatal clinic when I was pregnant was there, but they had an almost one month wait to book him in, so we tried the other.
“Our whole family just sees whatever doctor we can at the time and rarely need to go to the doctors so although both clinics have all our details on record we are not considered "regular clients" of anyone.
“With my son being healthy and not having to attend the doctors beside his immunisations he isn't a regular client of anyone and how is he supposed to be at one year old?
“It feels like we are being penalised for being healthy and for not being picky about which doctor to see each time.”
Luckily the mother has since been able to secure an appointment locally for her 12-month-old to be immunised however she reiterated how frustrating the situation has been to get him in for his basic health needs.
“He has an appointment at the other medical clinic, but the first available appointment is June 22 which was around three weeks after I made the call,” the concerned mother said.
“I am grateful that one of the clinics will take him for his vaccinations but having to wait a month from his birthday to get him in puts our childcare subsidy at risk as he attends the local day-care.
“And they are now under extra pressure to try and make room for everyone that has been turned away elsewhere.”