Matt Williams (Hindmarsh, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to contribute to this worthwhile motion. I thank the member for Dobell for initiating this motion, as well other members of the House for their contributions. We just heard from the member for Blaxland about Luke, the 20-year-old that suffered a stroke. That is indicative of some of the heartbreak and the challenges that strokes cause in our society. National Stroke Week is a fantastic initiative to help raise awareness and try to prevent stroke in Australia, running from 14 to 20 September. I, like many others, know a number of people who have suffered from a stroke, so I understand the difficulties faced by the many in our community who have survived this ordeal.

We have heard some enlightening facts already, including that one in six people will have a stroke in their lifetime. Stroke is one of Australia's biggest killers and a leading cause of disability. In 2015 there will be more than 50,000 new and recurrent strokes. That is 1,000 strokes every week or one stroke every 10 minutes—some really frightening statistics. We have also heard that stroke kills more women than breast cancer and more men than prostate cancer, and we know how serious these cancers are in our society and how they affect so many people, including people that we know. National Stroke Week is a great initiative by the National Stroke Foundation and is designed to encourage all Australians to be aware of what stroke is, how to recognise a stroke and, importantly, what to do, as well as to live healthily and to get regular health checks to reduce the rise and chances of stroke.

The federal government acknowledges how a stroke can impact on someone and devastate the lives of the people around them. Earlier this year the government launched the Acute Stroke Clinical Care Standard, which is designed to help treat stroke early, prevent recurrences of stroke and lead to much better outcomes for patients and their carers. The federal government also knows the need for greater awareness and promotion of the prevention of stroke within the Australian community.

However, in my community in South Australia, the state government is making life more difficult for the people of Hindmarsh in the western suburbs to receive emergency treatment when suffering from a stroke. The Transforming Health plan for the Weatherill government includes shutting parts of hospitals and making cuts to emergency departments, which is a concern. This includes cuts to the services provided at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital emergency department. People experiencing life-threatening emergencies, such as a stroke, will no longer be able to be treated at the QEH, a great hospital not far from my electorate. As you can imagine, this has caused some grave concern in the community. Demographically, Hindmarsh is one of the oldest electorates in the nation. Many who live in the area rely on the QEH as their major hospital, including Mrs Barb Coombe of West Lakes Shore, who was one of the many concerned residents who wrote to me. She said that her husband has recently had health issues and he relied on the services provided by the QEH emergency department. She writes:

Dear Mr Williams,

I have read your newsletter and thank you.

Why I am writing to you is about our QEH.

My husband has always gone to the QEH having had a few strokes & heart attacks. Will he still go there or to the Royal Adelaide Hospital?

I don't drive and Ted is 85 years old and change does not go down well with him.

Kind regards,

Barb Coombe.

Mrs Coombe is rightly concerned that the planned cuts to the QEH will have a negative impact on her and her husband. Patients like Mrs Coombe's husband will now be taken to an alternative hospital like the RAH, which is a greater distance away from West Lakes. The greater distance amounts to longer time to receive medical attention, and we all know that for strokes and heart attacks every second counts. Many of my constituents, including me, are deeply concerned about the extra travel time and distance if people suffering life-threatening emergencies such as stroke have to travel to alternative hospitals such as the RAH.

I have visited the Queen Elizabeth and met with health professionals. In my conversations with health professionals, I am informed over 1,000 patients suffering a heart attack or stroke are treated every year at the QEH. The state government's response is to buy new ambulances and have more paramedics. But, although paramedics do a great job, strokes are best treated in emergency departments, and I believe this policy will put extra stress on the already stretched South Australian public health system. I strongly object to the state government's decision to cut services at the QEH. Unfortunately, they do not seem to be listening to the people's concerns.

In closing, I congratulate the National Stroke Foundation on its efforts. I am a strong supporter of the Medical Research Future Fund. This is a game-changing initiative which can only help efforts to treat various health conditions and diseases. I congratulate the Minister for Health on the launch of the Acute Stroke Clinical Care Standard in June this year to help us address stroke.

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