Healthy at home – Dignity for Disability releases health policy
07/03/2014
Dignity for Disability today released a health policy designed to concentrate services where they are most effective and help people most in need.
By creating a dual-focus on primary health care and marginalised groups such as people with borderline personality disorder, Party Leader Kelly Vincent MLC said d4d were determined to see higher health standards in South Australia.
The first part of Dignity for Disability’s health policy is a transition to a primary health care-focused system.
Primary health care is backed by evidence and broadly accepted as a better system of health management – both economically and for the health of the population – than reliance on acute, hospital-based care. The SA Government acknowledged this in its Health Care Plan 2007-2016, but Ms Vincent says the Government later reneged on primary health care commitments, and this approach culminated with the 2013 release of the McCann Review of Non-Hospital Based Services.
“Dignity for Disability is sick to the back teeth of the Government’s lip service to primary health care,” said Ms Vincent. “The McCann Review was basically an excuse for cutting community-facing services and putting the wellbeing of the budget before the wellbeing of the people of South Australia.
“We want a renewed and properly-funded focus on primary health care that prioritises prevention, equitable access to services – especially in regional centres, and a rollout of mental health and lifestyle support programs. This is particularly relevant to ageing South Australians, people with disabilities and their carers who are statistically more likely to suffer from chronic illnesses and should expect to receive care that keeps them in the community and out of hospital.”
The second plank of Dignity for Disability’s health policy is a focus on Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD).
Borderline Personality Disorder is often ignored by the SA medical system, and many people with BPD are repeatedly refused treatment when presenting to hospitals and other medical services.
“It is estimated that about one per cent of people have BPD, which means there would be about 16,500 South Australians requiring treatment,” said Ms Vincent. “This number – and the seriousness of BPD symptoms, justify a specialist care facility modelled on the successful Spectrum service in Victoria.”
“Investing in primary health care and specialised services for BPD will ultimately benefit the state’s budget,” added Ms Vincent. “Investment in good early treatment reduces the need for expensive acute services. Dignity for Disability’s policy makes for a healthier state and a healthier bottom line.”
