Jill Hall (Shortland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I received a letter from Dianne, who lives in the Shortland electorate on the Central Coast. She raised an issue of great concern. She drew my attention to the Central Coast's six-month waiting period to be assessed for dental treatment and that there is no urgent list. The vouchers that were once given out have run out. She talked about the problems her husband is having with chewing and swallowing because of his poor dentures.

He is losing weight and he has health issues. He has had a stroke and has heart problems, which are contributing to his swallowing issues. He has stents, diabetes, kidney disease and shingles. He needs some new teeth as a matter of urgency. Dianne has private health insurance, although she is a pensioner. New dentures for her 80-year-old husband will cost $2,200, and she will only receive an $800 rebate. Dental Services on the Central Coast have advised her that he would be eligible for an $1,800 voucher, but unfortunately, they are not available. With a six-moth wait for assessment and no urgent list, it is a very difficult situation. With funding drying up, it really makes the life of people like Dianne and her husband very difficult. So I decided to investigate a little.

Surprise, surprise, cuts by the Abbott government have come to my attention. The so-called funding for public dental health under the national partnership agreement is actually a $45 million reduction in funds that were promised last year, and the proposed $200 million will now cover both the Child Dental Benefits Schedule and funding for dental services. That certainly is not good enough. The future funding beyond 2015-16 is now not guaranteed. An estimated 400,000 people are on waiting lists around the country. I thought I would have a look at the number of people on waiting lists on the Central Coast and in the Hunter. On the Central Coast there are 1,116 and in the Hunter 6,202 adults on the waiting list.

It is not good enough. Dental health is as important as any aspect of health. I call on the government to reinstate the funding and look after people with dental health problems.