Page 1269 - Week 04 - Thursday, 21 March 2013
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with transport, access to information and payments for health services. Sadly, the 2009-10 ACT general health survey showed that 20 per cent of ACT hospital admissions were preventable; and seven per cent of ACT residents reported that they were unable to get transport to a health service. Sadly, it seems that quite often, despite pain or discomfort, people do not engage in the health system until their illness reaches a level where they require hospital treatment.
The mobile health clinic model works effectively in other cities. The West Melbourne street health van targets services at people who are homeless. People experiencing disadvantage live in all parts of Canberra and having a mobile primary health clinic means we can directly target people most in need of essential health care.
Another key area where the Greens have an interest is in preventative health and the question of obesity. A long-term method of reducing pressure on the acute health system, which the Greens have long had a focus on, is early intervention in health to ensure a higher emphasis on people’s overall wellbeing. Of course, preventative health initiatives in diet, nutrition and physical activity also go hand in hand with looking after people’s mental health.
The Greens have long argued that preventative health is an investment that pays high dividends for people, the community and the health system. A key part of preventative health starts at childhood and ensuring that we have healthy children who start life with healthy diets and sufficient exercise. To this end, one item in the parliamentary agreement is to work with other jurisdictions to implement a ban on junk food advertising directed at children.
The Greens would also like to see the model of breakfast clubs expanded across key parts of Canberra to ensure that all children, no matter what kind of family life they have, are able to start their days with healthy breakfasts. Another item in the parliamentary agreement prioritises health promotion funding to focus on healthy children through prioritising funding for healthy school canteens, food education and school gardens.
When it comes to mental health, this is an area the Greens made a priority area in the last Assembly, securing an increase of approximately $33 million over the last four years through the previous parliamentary agreement. That funding has made a significant difference to the lives of people living with a mental illness, their loved ones and carers, and we are committed to continuing this progress on mental health, with the 2012 parliamentary agreement committing an additional $35 million in new funding over the next four years. Mental health is an important priority area and we are pleased that this is continuing, noting of course that there is always more that will need to be done in this area.
The parliamentary agreement also outlines provision of funding for advanced care planning to enable ACT Health to develop and implement a range of appropriate care planning tools, including the respecting patient choices program and conducting a community-run education and awareness program.
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