Paediatrician waitlists, by state.

Why this page exists

Parents shouldn't need to join private Facebook groups to figure out how long the wait actually is. This page exists because the question "how long until we see a paediatrician?" is one of the most important questions a parent asks, and the answer varies wildly depending on which state you're in and what pathway you choose.

A word on accuracy

The three kinds of paediatric wait

Community paediatrics (public, state-funded)

Longest wait, no cost. Public paediatric services are funded by state health departments. You see the same paediatrician throughout. Bulk-billed (no out-of-pocket cost). Waitlists reflect demand — major cities often have 9–24 month waits. Regional areas vary. If cost is a barrier, this is your pathway, but plan accordingly.

Private paediatrics

Faster wait, out-of-pocket cost. Private paediatricians operate independently or in group practices. Most offer appointments within 3–9 months. First visit typically costs $350–$600 out-of-pocket; Medicare rebates $180–$250 depending on item number. You pay the gap. More choice of paediatrician, shorter wait, you pay more.

Telehealth paediatrics

Newest model, shortest wait. Services like Kin Fertility, Juno, and This Is Ours offer paediatric consultation via video. Some are rapid-access (1–4 weeks). Not all accept Medicare rebates yet; check when you enquire. Useful for initial assessment, parent interview, and ongoing monitoring. Less useful if the child needs a full neurological exam or if your internet is unreliable.

By state (current at April 2026)

Victoria

Royal Children's Hospital Developmental Medicine: 9–18 months. Largest public service, high demand. If your child has a significant medical comorbidity or developmental concern, this is where public paediatrics happens.

Private developmental paediatricians (Melbourne metro): 3–6 months wait. Fees $450–$650 first visit. Many cluster around Camberwell and Toorak. Regional Victoria (Ballarat, Bendigo, Geelong): public 12–24 months, private 2–4 months where available.

New South Wales

Sydney Children's Hospital + Westmead Children's: 9–18 months public wait. Highest demand, largest child population in Australia. These are the two major paediatric hubs.

Private paediatricians (Sydney metro): 4–9 months. Fees $500–$700. Many practices are in the inner west and north shore. Shorter waits, higher costs. Hunter region (Newcastle) and Central Coast have some private options; Illawarra much slower.

Regional NSW: Public paediatric services exist in most regional centres but with longer waits (12–24 months). Private paediatricians sparse outside major centres. Telehealth is increasingly an option.

Queensland

Queensland Children's Hospital (Brisbane): 9–15 months public wait. Strong paediatric service, but demand is high with Queensland's growing population.

Private paediatricians (Brisbane metro): 3–6 months. Fees $400–$600. South Brisbane and West End have clusters of practices. Gold Coast (private): 2–4 months. Cairns and regional Queensland: public waits long, private options limited.

South Australia

Women's and Children's Hospital (Adelaide): 6–12 months public wait. Often shorter than east-coast waits due to lower demand relative to capacity. If you're in SA and can wait, the waits are more manageable.

Community paediatrics across regions: Strength in SA is that community paediatric services are more distributed. Many regional centres have paediatrician clinics with shorter waits (3–6 months) than Adelaide hospital.

Private paediatricians (Adelaide): 3–5 months. Fees $350–$550. More affordable than east coast and shorter waits than public.

Western Australia

Perth Children's Hospital: 10–18 months public wait. Reasonable for a capital city, but still long for families needing quick answers.

Private paediatricians (Perth metro): 4–8 months. Fees $400–$600. Subiaco and South Perth have paediatric clusters. FIFO work is common in WA; some paediatricians are flexible with appointment timing for families on FIFO rosters.

Tasmania

Public paediatrics (Hobart + Launceston): 9–18 months, variable depending on which clinic. Limited public capacity; many Tasmanian families travel to Melbourne for assessment.

Private paediatricians: 4–8 months in Hobart, scarcer in Launceston. Fees $350–$500. Some families use Melbourne private paediatricians and travel or do telehealth follow-up.

ACT

Canberra Hospital Paediatrics: 6–12 months public wait. ACT population is smaller, so waits are often shorter than east-coast capitals. Community paediatric services also available through ACT Health.

Private paediatricians (Canberra): 3–6 months. Fees $350–$550. Smaller private sector but functional. Some Canberrans access Sydney private services (2–3 hours drive) for faster access.

Northern Territory

Royal Darwin Hospital + Alice Springs Hospital: Public paediatric services exist but are limited. Significant Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander populations; specialist services include Children's Ground (early intervention) and Congress Paediatrics (Aboriginal health-centred care).

Paediatric outreach: Specialists from southern Australia visit NT regularly. Adelaide and Brisbane paediatricians have telehealth arrangements with NT families. Waits vary; some access is faster via outreach clinics than waiting for permanent appointments.

Private paediatricians: Very limited in NT. Most families either access public services, arrange travel to Adelaide or Brisbane, or use telehealth from southern services.

Five things that actually shorten the wait

1. Ask your GP for multiple referrals at once

In Australia, a GP referral is valid for 12 months. Instead of referring to one public paediatrician, ask your GP to write referrals to: (a) your local public paediatric service, (b) two or three private paediatricians you've researched, (c) a telehealth service if relevant. You apply to all simultaneously. The first appointment available is the one you take. This is standard practice and GPs expect it.

2. Say yes to waitlists at clinics you haven't heard of

If your local RCH or major hospital wait is 18 months, community paediatric services in the same state or satellite clinics might have 6–9 month waits. They're not as famous, but they're staffed by qualified paediatricians. Ask your GP if there's a community health centre, regional clinic, or satellite outpatient service with a shorter wait.

3. Consider telehealth paediatrics

If in-person assessment is not urgent and your home internet is reliable, telehealth can cut waits to 2–4 weeks. Initial assessment, parent interview, and behavioural discussion often work well remotely. Some telehealth providers accept Medicare rebates (check first). Lower cost than many private practices, faster access than public.

4. Start the Mental Health Care Plan while you wait

Your GP can issue a Mental Health Care Plan (MBS 2715) immediately, giving your child access to 6–10 subsidised psychology sessions. While you wait 12 months for the paediatrician, your child gets behavioural support, coping strategies, and parent coaching from a psychologist. This is parallel care, not a substitute — it genuinely helps.

Read more: Medicare Mental Health Care Plan

5. Call the clinic monthly. Cancellations happen.

Paediatric waitlists often have cancellations. Families move, reschedule, or don't attend. Call the clinic monthly and ask: "Are there any cancellations opening up sooner?" or "Is there a waitlist for cancellations?" Many clinics have a system. You could get in 6 months earlier than the standard wait.

While you wait

The paediatrician appointment is faster and more useful if you arrive prepared. Here's what you can do now:

• Start a Mental Health Care Plan. Your GP can issue one today. Psychology support, parent coaching, and behavioural strategies happen while you wait. How to access it.
• Get school support in motion. Request an Individual Learning Plan (ILP) or team-teach meeting at school. Ask for NCCD (Nationally Consistent Collection of Data on School Students with Disability) funding application if relevant. These can start without a diagnosis.
• See a paediatric occupational therapist or speech pathologist if relevant. If sensory processing or communication is a concern, OT and SLP assessments are often faster than paediatrician waits. They also provide useful information for the paediatrician.
• Keep detailed notes. Six months of observations about what you're seeing, when it happens, what makes it better or worse — these are gold when you finally sit down with the paediatrician. Your notes matter more than memory.
• Read and understand the patterns. Use resources like ADHD in children or our condition guides. You don't need a diagnosis to understand what you're seeing and to become your child's best advocate.

Red flags to escalate immediately