Children waiting years to see specialist doctors in Canberra

New data shows even children placed in the highest risk category can wait almost a year just to see a doctor in some specialties at Canberra Health Services.

It comes amid concerns of workforce shortages in paediatrics across the territory.

The data, released in response to questions on notice from opposition health spokeswoman Vicki Dunne, showed as of June 30, there were about 3700 children under 16 waiting for an initial appointment with a specialist.

Median wait times for a child to get a dermatology appointment were as long as four years, while for some urology patients it was more than three years.

There were more than 1000 children waiting to see an ear nose and throat doctor, with wait times as long as 606 days.

The median wait for a category one child - considered the most urgent - to see an ear doctor was almost a year.

The figures revealed just 13 children were waiting as long as 874.5 days for a gastroenterology appointment.

Mrs Dunne said the blown-out wait times was an issue that long predated COVID-19.

She said the government had failed to bolster Canberra's "understaffed" health system.

"Paediatricians are under immense pressure and are being stretched far too thin," she said.

"This is having a big impact on their mental and physical health and there is growing concern that this could have a detrimental impact on patient outcomes.

"We need to future-proof our health system to ensure all Canberrans can access the health services they need when they need it.

"Young children waiting more than four years in some instances for a health appointment is evidence of a system in breakdown,"

The Canberra Times understands paediatric workforce issues have a problem for at least 18 months, with the situation exacerbated by the COVID-19 crisis which shut down outpatient clinics earlier in the year.

The problem is not contained to the public sector, with waits of up to six months to see a private paediatrician.

Health Minister Rachel Stephen-Smith said wait times across some paediatric services were concerning.

She said Canberra Health services was working to deliver additional resources, recruit more staff, and put in place new processes to better meet demand.

"Prior to COVID-19, Canberra Health Services was conducting more than 10,000 outpatient appointments a month," Ms Stephen-Smith said.

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"In response to COVID-19, Canberra Health Services reduced or suspended some outpatient services to ensure capacity across our health system and reduce the spread of COVID-19. The impact of these changes has had an impact on wait times."

Ms Stephen-Smith said she anticipated a gradual improvement in waiting times in the months ahead, as services return to normal.

"Canberra Health Services makes every possible effort to ensure that children in the most urgent categories are seen on time," she said.