Children’s medical treatment lacking

AUSTRALIANS are receiving proper medical care only 60 per cent of the time, a shock new report has found.

A landmark report found that against clinical guidelines, kids with tonsillitis were being prescribed antibiotics, babies with unexplained crying were given reflux meds on their first visit to the doctor and asthma sufferers were not getting vital action plans.

The CareTrack Kids study examined 6689 under-16s who presented at 85 GP clinics, 20 specialists’ rooms and 34 hospitals between 2012 and 2013. It found only 43.5 per cent of tonsillitis cases, 52.8 per cent of gastroesophageal reflux cases, 53.5 per cent of children with fevers and 58 per cent of those with middle ear infections receive the recommended treatment.