The mother-of-four had her tonsils out last year and three of her four children had the same operation, with nine-year-old Zara having the procedure on Tuesday.

The Warrnambool family’s experience was not alone with The Conversation reporting the Great South Coast’s high rate of tonsillectomies at 7.8 operations per 1000 people in 2010-11.

In Western Sydney there were 1.3 tonsillectomies per 1000 people for the same period

The high rate in the south-west comes as the Federal Government reviews the Medicare rebate scheme with tonsillectomies one of the procedures under the microscope. 

Ms Harvey said she had been told there was a 12-month wait in Warrnambool if the surgery was not a high priority. She said chronic tonsillitis had meant Zara had missed weeks of school. 

“She’s been missing one or two days a week,” she said.

“She had three weeks off in term two and she had most of the last week of last term off. It’s the time away from school and the impacts on friendships.

“It makes it a bit tricky.”

Ms Harvey said she was grateful for the support of doctors and nurses and she hoped the review wouldn’t make it harder for people to access the procedure. 

“There is a high demand and that’s not going to go away,” she said. “I don’t know what will happen for those that can’t afford it.”

Wannon MP Dan Tehan said all procedures were under review and patient safety was at the core of what the government was doing.

“As a rural MP I know what works in inner Sydney doesn’t necessarily work in Western Victoria,” he said. “The government wants to hear from health professionals and patients about their experiences with Medicare.

“As a rural MP I will strongly advocate for good public healthcare outcomes. If there is a strong prevalence of a disease in Western Victoria then what happens in Western Sydney shouldn’t dictate what happens here.”