Hope Alexander MPH

Posts Tagged ‘government’

Submission to the Commonwealth Government Department of Health and Ageing on the new National Women’s Health Policy 1 July 2009

Hope Alexander MPH, Consumer Representative and Health Educator, Perth, Western Australia.

Introduction

In any proposed new National Women’s Health Policy as submitted by the Australian Women’s Health Network there needs to be a balance struck between research, prevention, and treatment and care.

For all those sick women whose treatment is determined not by gender but by class and economic disadvantage where are their voices in this proposed policy?

Where are the recommendations around Foetal Alcohol syndrome so that Indigenous children can have the best start in life?

The emphasis should show balance, not the middle class mantra of prevention education without the recognition of the suffering of the poor and the marginalised in our health system.

Recommendations

• Breast prosthesis – eligible women to be given a voucher for their prosthesis/es similar to that given eligible people for hearing aids

• A voucher for say $350 per year to attend an accredited gym to undergo an exercise program designed by an exercise physiologist for weight loss and/or weight management

• The New Zealand Green Prescription be implemented nationally

• Programs to address the issue of foetal alcohol syndrome, particularly in Indigenous women

The rationale for the recommendations

• Breast prosthesis – eligible women to be given a voucher for their prosthesis/es similar to that given eligible people for hearing aids.Although the Medicare rebate is a welcome innovation, it still leaves some women with a problem. They do not have the cash to pay upfront for their prostheses. These can cost from between $350 up to $550 each and possibly beyond. For a woman requiring two prostheses, (double mastectomy) this could mean anything up to $1000, perhaps more. For a woman whose only income is the aged pension or other form of income support this outlay is not an option.

• A voucher for say $350 per year to attend an accredited gym to undergo an exercise program designed by an exercise physiologist for weight loss and/or weight management.

For those women who have suffered weight gain and body fat gain from cancer treatments (HEAL study, USA, 1996) and possibly other drug treatments some form of assistance is required. Women on pensions and other low incomes are unable to afford gym memberships, and thus are prevented from gaining access to rehabilitation exercise.

It is recognized that chronic conditions (eg cancer and cardiovascular disease) are becoming a greater burden on the public health purse, and will continue to do so. Rather than have the Federal Government spend around $15,000 per obese person on stomach stapling surgery, a more equitable option would be to invest $350 per year per woman, for those meeting the above criteria: weight gain from cancer and other drug treatments. This is a form of rehabilitation, thus returning these women to a more fully functional and hopefully independent lifestyle.

The costs of the consultations with the exercise physiologist can be met by Medicare, under the Enhanced Care Plan (ECP). Many GPs are reluctant or unwilling to put women on an ECP. The complaint is “it takes too much of my time” and “We don’t get paid enough” (personal communications).

• The New Zealand Green Prescription (1, 2) is a program that works, and has been evaluated. Because the populations of Australia and New Zealand are similar (both having Indigenous peoples and a diversity of cultures) there appears to be no reason why the Green Prescription could not work in Australia. More important, it may well be acceptable to Indigenous women in Australia, as was the “One heart many lives”(3) program acceptable to New Zealand Maori males.
• A national program to address the issue of foetal alcohol syndrome particularly in Indigenous women.

References

http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=1508188

http://www.sparc.org.nz/getting-active/green-prescription/how-it-works

http://www.oneheartmanylives.co.nz/

The Office of Population Health Genomics, Department of Health has cordially invited Hope to attend a seminar titled “Challenges for Society in the Genetic Information Age”. This event will be held on the Monday 11th May at Grace Vaughn House, 227 Stubbs Tce, Shenton Park.

This seminar will focus on genomics, ethics, biobanks, biobanking community forums similar to the one Hope presented at and participated in 2008, held in Canada.

Event: 11 May 2009 - Challenges for Society in the Genetic Information Age

WA’s Nutrition, Physical Activity and Healthy Weight Congress, “The Weighing Up Our Future” Congress is a partnership initiative of the Heart Foundation, The Cancer Council WA and Diabetes WA and is proudly funded by the Department of Health, Western Australia.

Hope has expressed an interest in participating on the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing – International Dental Graduates Assessment Process Review Committee.

“This committee will act as a national expert reference group on assessment processes for International Dental Graduates.  It will provide expert advice to the Health Workforce Principal Committee on the issues and barriers associated with International Dental Graduates achieving full registration in Australia; the effectiveness and efficiency of current assessment processes, including implementation of the Public Sector Dental Workforce Scheme; and requirements for establishing a competent authority model for mutual recognition of dental qualifications gained overseas.

This work relates to the Consumers’ Health Forum of Australia interest in the health workforce.

The consumer representative may like to consider the following objectives:

• Provide a consumer perspective on issues relating to the assessment of International Dental Graduates.

• Advocate for consumer input and participation in the implementation of any model for recognition of dental qualifications gained overseas.

• Consult with, and keep CHF members informed of this work and the consumer issues.”

I have been the consumer representative on the Oral Health Centre WA (University of Western Australia School of Medicine and Dentistry) where dentistry students and oral hygienists are trained, for some years now.

I initiated the process of getting a mouth care information sheet for patients undergoing cancer treatment in WA and with the two Oral Medicine specialists who worked on it with me, was granted the Health Consumers’ Council WA Award of Excellence in 2006.

I regularly act as a patient for the Oral Medicine students in the examinations.

I have been a user of dental services from the age of 4 years (in New Zealand, where all children received free dental care until the age of 16), both as a public, then private, and now again, public patient.

I have been lobbying for reform in the oral health field for some years now.