Boy with shattered kneecap waits six days for RFDS flight from Karratha

A 10-year-old boy from Karratha has been left waiting in serious pain for almost a week with no Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) flights available to transfer him to Perth for surgery.

Noah Ross was admitted to Karratha Hospital's emergency room last Wednesday after a scooter accident shattered his kneecap. His mother, Kayla Ross, said he had needed round-the-clock pain medication and had been unable to leave his bed since arriving at the hospital.

In an update on Friday afternoon, Ms Ross said they were finally on their way to Perth after a long and difficult wait. Noah described the experience as "really bad" due to his inability to move out of bed.

"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."

A commercial flight was not an option for Noah due to his pain level and inability to lower or bend his leg. Ms Ross said they were initially told the wait might only be a couple of days, but it had carried on for almost a week.

The WA Country Health Service (WACHS) said Karratha Hospital was experiencing "unusually high" demand for patient transfers, resulting in some retrievals taking longer than usual.

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

Ms Ross said local hospital staff were also eager to get Noah to Perth for surgery. She expressed concern that the long wait could impact Noah's recovery.

"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."

RFDs WA chief executive officer Judith Barker acknowledged the difficult time for Noah's family and said crews had worked 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 Ross 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."

Noah, who will undergo surgery at Perth Children's Hospital, said he did not blame the RFDS 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."