Currently the QLD based public Redcliffe Hospital has no pediatric upper limb orthopedic specialists and this hospital is the only hospital in the Moreton Bay Region (North Brisbane) that has a outpatient clinic for orthopedics. 

My family has two children who are under the care of Dr Sarah Murgatroyd who is a local pediatric upper limb orthopedic specialist (surgeon) from Qlds Redcliffe hospital. She is stuck in New Zealand being denied the exception due to Covid. My son and step son aged 3 and 9 both have a severe MHE (multiple hereditary osteochrondromas)

Due to Dr Murgatroyd being denied entry back their surgeries and appointments including Jack being who will be one of the youngest Australian’s to have surgery on MHE and Nathan who will be one of the most complicated is being pushed back which is causing the disorder to grow bigger causing daily considerable pain and further damage the my kids are suffering. Jack's pain is currently only able to be controlled due to the bone growths by Panadol and Neurofen which only work to a degree at the moment his relief when he wakes throughout the night is laying in the bottom of the shower like a crocodile with the hot water running over him. He is that exhausted by this stage he falls asleep nearly every time in the shower. Nathan can't open a jar, bottle lids, packets due to his severe case in his arm. He struggles on a daily basis to do simple things like making his breakfast due to milk bottle lids or putting socks on. If you put a muesli bar or chip packet in his lunch box he either asks for assistance or jumps on the end of it to make it pop. He looses a lot of independence which is important for a nearly 10 year old. 

We are aware Dr Houston who is the head of the orthopedic team at Redcliffe Hospital has been doing all he can to get Sarah back because her absence is causing a backlog for the whole region especially since Redcliffe is the only hospital that handles orthopedics as a outpatient clinic. Basically if you or your child breaks a upper body bone you can go to another hospital and they will plaster it etc. in the metro north region ie Caboolture however all your follow ups scans etc. are all handled as an outpatient by Redcliffe Hospital. All specialist outpatient appointments for anything bone related like the bone disease MHE is all handed in the Redcliffe outpatients system. 

I have attached my 3 year old sons most recent X-rays of his wrist. Photos are left side of the scans are  X-rays from 07/10/2021
Right side of the scans are from may 2021 
Yes in only a matter of months it has tripled in size and only continues to grow and impact him. 

The link below is also to the rare bone disease so you can gather a full understanding of how serious the delay and pressure is causing which wouldn’t just be for our family. Nathan has to have a fixator as he needs to have multiple surgeries for his ulna. The only pain relief in the mean time is Panadol. If you Google MHE fixator the device and many US based reports are available to read to understand the disease. 

https://rarediseases.org/rare-diseases/hereditary-multiple-osteochondromas/

04/11/2021 I discovered that currently Redcliffe hospital has no pediatric orthopedic specialist as dr Maine recently resigned the only other was dr Sarah Murgatroyd who has been stuck in New Zealand for months now after travelling their for a family emergency. So now children patients appointments are being pushed back or if needed transferred to QCH adding further stress to families and the system. How nothing is being done for months by QLD health to get this vital person back is beyond me. The Government allowed the New Zealand All Blacks football team to come to Australia during a lock down yet we are unable to get the paperwork sorted for a surgeon to return who looks after people and specializes in the pediatric field and is also fully vaccinated. 

I get there is hurdles state and federal wise due to Covid but it’s been months without Dr Murgatroyd how is it with media push families can get exemptions to be reunited etc. but on a state and federal level the system is that broken or poorly communicated they’ve  been so unsuccessful in getting a pediatric specialist Dr employed by QLD health and is the only available one for Redcliffe back to Australia to look after patients that need her and her team. I sent an email to the premier and deputy premier as well as cc’ing the health ministers offices in again yesterday and again this morning 5/11/2021 at nearly 1am because for now the second night in a row the Panadol and neurofen that my 3 year old can have as pain relief isn’t working he’s in pain tossing turning and crying in his some what sleep and there’s nothing more I can do as a mum or a hospital can do without the surgery. Feeling helpless for your kids and the emotion of knowing this situation should have been rectified months ago is beyond frustrating. Knowing the team at Redcliffe are amazing and getting no where and little to no support is disgusting 

I contacted the hospital on 2/11/2021 and spoke to specialist outpatients who confirmed Sarah is still stuck in New Zealand and they would welcome some assistance in getting her back because she is greatly needed to support the children under her care for the metro north hospital. QLD Health have provided the hospital that is begging for assistance with 1 locom (on loan) Dr from QCH (Queensland Children's Hospital) that attends clinics one day a week only if he is available and he is not a pediatric orthopedic specialist. So still nothing in place to assist with the backlog and ongoing issues for children. 

I don’t want my kids transferred to QCH because we actually took our oldest son (9 years old) out of their care and had him transferred to Redcliffe from QCH’s care as they had no clue about MHE and for 3 years all they did was annual X-rays whereas within the first 12 months Nathan had had multiple X-rays, MRIs, has OT appointments and a surgery plan. 2 x of the appointments prior to coming under the care of Dr Murgatroyd at the Redcliffe Hospital while still under the care of Queensland Children's Hospital were with 1 a lower limbs dr that had no interest in what the family was saying about Nathans arm or elbow and his struggles and the 2nd time they didn’t have any available orthopedic consultants so he was seen by someone that had no idea about MHE or limbs and was spinal. So basically he was left as a number in the system for 3 years for the extra painful bones to grow to the point they have and cause further complications now.  

I have contacted so many of the Moreton Bay state and federal MPs and all they do is pass the buck, not their problem, give me the excuse that the surgeon isn’t on their roll for their area and send me elsewhere or tell me I can’t advocate on the Drs behalf and even after explaining it’s not about anyone's behalf it’s about the community, the hospital, the patients, my kids and the kids of the region that they are elected in etc. it’s still the same outcome. All the elected MPs come election time bang on that they are all about their community and the people yet no one can get a local specialist surgeon back or even raise it further and just want to pass the buck none of them seem to understand that it’s not about where she lives or I live it’s about the community in general and the fact that metro north are asking begging for assistance to get her back.

So much for policy standard 2 as part of Queensland Health about listening to their consumers and taking action. 

I’ve emailed and spoken with Yvette Darths office as a health minister as well as her office as the MP for Redcliffe (the hospital is situated in Redcliffe) and Minster Hunt who is the federal Health Minster both of which no action has been taken to assist or even a response. 

There is nothing worse as a parent watching your kids suffer or suffer in silence because the people that have the power to make change simply ignore and don’t care! 

We would greatly appreciate assistance in getting the only currently employed QLD Health Redcliffe Hospital based upper limb pediatric orthopedic specialist  back so she can look after her patients, local families especially the children of the local area. Also considering the health ministers announcement recently about having to pay for overseas health workers when we are struggling to get our own back just increasing pressure on our entire Moreton bay region and causing a lot of pain and suffering for families such as mine or expenses of others having to take their children into Brisbane City to QCH which could be avoided by bringing back Dr Murgatroyd. 

We would like the minsters to join forces to get Sarah and her family the exemption they need so she can return to work providing care in our region.