Productivity Commission signals support on the way for people with disabilities and their carers
AMA President, Dr Andrew Pesce, said today that the Productivity Commission’s Disability Care and Support draft report provides the Government with the opportunity to move ahead with much-needed reform of Australia’s disability support system.
Dr Pesce said that the AMA supports the draft report’s overall objective to provide people with a disability with consistent access to essential care and support based on their level of need.
“The draft report outlines a thoughtful response to the problems of unmet need that are experienced by Australians living with disabilities,” Dr Pesce said.
“There will be debate about who and what is covered by a Disability Support Scheme, and the cost and the financing mechanism of a national disability insurance scheme, but the Federal and State Governments must together take action to implement a scheme that will deliver great benefits to people with a disability, their families and carers, and the broader community.
“This is a vital community reform that must remain above politics.
“The AMA welcomes the Commission’s focus on improving the social and economic participation and independence for people with a serious disability.
“Doctors see the long-term effects of disabilities every day, and regularly provide and coordinate care for patients with serious disabilities. Doctors know that these effects will often last for a lifetime for individuals with a disability and their families.
“It is crucial that the right support is provided in a timely manner with the highest priority given to those with most need.
“A national scheme that provides individually tailored support and early intervention, where possible, would increase the productivity and social participation of people with disabilities and boost their independence.
“The scheme would need to be sustainable over the long term to support people through their lives. It would need to be implemented carefully in stages to ensure that the current relationships between the health, disability, injury insurance, and aged-care systems are settled properly, and that those parts of the disability support system that are currently working well are not adversely affected.
“We must avoid the cost and responsibility shifting and the tangled funding streams between jurisdictions that plague other areas of the health and welfare sectors.
“Today’s draft report has provided a catalyst for positive reform of disability support services – we must not waste it,” Dr Pesce said.
28 February 2011
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