Government disability therapists had been removed from Bathurst and the nearest were now located in Orange. Community based therapists were now over-stretched and could not take on more children. So many children were going without therapists. Those who saw therapists were receiving a different form of treatment. Because of their patient load therapists were now more like consultants, seeing patients once a month and monitoring treatment rather than being active practitioners providing the treatment themselves.
Many parents have to take their children to Sydney to obtain therapist services.
There is a wait of 8 to 9 months even to obtain an initial assessment by a speech pathologist and around the same for assessment by an occupational therapist. There is a very high turnover of therapists in the town, especially of young therapists who come to Bathurst to obtain employment and experience and then move on. The Service conducted a survey of its families to gauge current experience and level of need. The numbers of families requiring assistance is increasing and the demand cannot be met. The Service already is working with the number of referrals it had anticipated by the end of the year and less than 7 months have passed.