Six-day medical transfer wait for boy with shattered kneecap

In short:

10-year-old Noah Ross shattered his knee in an accident at a skate park in Karratha.

He has spent six days waiting in the local hospital to be flown to Perth for specialised treatment.

What's next?

RFDS WA chief executive Judith Barker says crews are working to transfer him as quickly as possible.

A 10-year-old boy with a shattered kneecap has been left waiting in serious pain for almost a week with no RFDS flights available to transfer him from Karratha to Perth.

Kayla Ross was called to the local skate park last Wednesday to find her son Noah on the ground after a scooter accident.

Noah has needed around the clock pain medication and has been unable to leave his bed since arriving at Karratha Hospital's emergency room.

"We got into the ER and we've been at Karratha Hospital ever since, waiting for an RFDS flight to Perth for surgery," she said.

Noah said the wait had been difficult.

"Really bad because I can't move out of bed," he said.

"I haven't seen sunlight for days and I can't do anything so its really painful and annoying."

There has been no confirmation yet of when Noah will be flown to Perth.

"We were initially told it might be a couple of days and every day it's just carried on and we're just waiting," Ms Ross said.

"Yesterday there was a flight for us. Unfortunately the plane broke down."

A commercial flight is not an option for Noah to be transferred to Perth due to his pain level and being unable to lower or bend his leg.

The WA Country Health Service (WACHS) said Karratha Hospital was experiencing "unusually high" demand for patient transfers.

"As a result some retrievals are taking longer than usual as aircraft are prioritised to the patients who need them most urgently," said WACHS acute retrieval and ambulance director Fred English.

"There are currently five patients awaiting retrieval in Karratha. All remain in a stable condition.

"It is clinically appropriate for these patients to continue receiving care locally, they're in capable hands."

City vs country divide

The RFDS remains the only option for urgent medical transfers for people living outside a safe driving distance from Perth.

The service maintains a fleet of 17 turbo prop aircraft, 3 jets and 2 helicopters, transporting an estimated 29 people each day.

Having lived in Karratha with her family for three years, Ms Ross said she was surprised by the wait for the transfer.

She said local hospital staff also wanted to get Noah to Perth.

"If we were in Perth we would've had the surgery and he would've been home by now recovering," she said.

"Instead it's prolonging that recovery period.

"The hospital staff here have been brilliant. They can feel our frustration and they're frustrated as well,. They want to get us out of here."

With Noah's surgery scheduled for Perth Children's Hospital, Ms Ross said the repeated calls from PCH staff for updates on her son's location were adding to to the stress of the situation.

"It's worrying for us … because what's the outcome if we get there later? You know, the healing process? How does that all work?" she said.

The family is not criticising RFDS and said they do not blame the organisation for the delay.

"They're doing a good job," Noah said.

"But we just need more people to fundraise for them so they can get more people onto their planes and to help."

High demand for transfers

RFDS WA chief executive officer Judith Barker has acknowledged it has been a difficult time for Noah's family but said crews are working to transfer him to Perth as quickly as possible.

"The RFDS works closely with the WA Country Health Service to prioritise patient transfers right across WA to ensure the patients who need care most urgently are retrieved as quickly as possible," she said.

Ms Barker said the service's teams worked around the clock every day to ensure transfers happened as quickly as possible.

Noah's mother said the RFDS was in need of more support to cover regional areas of WA.

"Obviously they're doing brilliant work, they're a charity … but there needs to be something [more] because this really isn't good enough," Ms Ross said.

"If we're living here there needs to be support for us. We need to be able to get care."