Funds reduce health wait

By Kath Gannaway
FUNDING announced last month will provide an additional 4776 hours of service each year to Yarra Ranges residents with chronic diseases including diabetes, heart disease and asthma.
State Health Minister Daniel Andrews announced the $400,000 boost from the Government’s Early Intervention in Chronic Disease Initiative.
The initiative provides for planned, managed, pro-active care with the patient being an active partner in that care.
Making the announcement on Wednesday at the Ranges Community Health Service in Lilydale, Mr Andrews said the RCHS and Eastern Health’s Yarra Valley Community Health Service, with centres in Yarra Junction and Healesville, would share in the funding.
“Community health services and primary care partnerships have already done significant work to help people with chronic illnesses, and this initiative builds on it,” Mr Andrews said.
Local health and community support consortium Outer East Primary Care Partnership is to receive an additional $20,000 a year to build on work already done to deliver better chronic disease management across Melbourne’s outer-east.
Shire of Yarra Ranges resident Morgan Shuttle was one of three residents living with a chronic disease who spoke of the role local health services played in the management of their conditions.
Ms Shuttle, who has type 2 diabetes, is also carer for her father who also has the disease.
She told of the vital role health professionals such as the diabetes educator, dietitian, district health nurse and podiatrist played in their lives.
She said long waiting lists to see the diabetes educator and podiatrist locally meant she had to go down the line to services in Lilydale which as a young mum was a drain on her health and budget.
“We are concerned that there are so few diabetes supports up our way,” she said.
“We need more money to improve these services in order that people such as ourselves are looked after better and don’t slip between the cracks.”
Eastern Health’s general manager Natalie Sullivan said the funding provided a further opportunity for Eastern Health to integrate the services they offer and provide managed pro-active care.
“It is important for both organisations (Ranges Community Health Service and Yarra Valley Community Health) to work with people and help them to help themselves,” she said.
Shire of Yarra Ranges mayor Len Cox said the first-hand accounts of living with chronic disease emphasised the importance of the local health organisations.
“It is so vital they continue the work they do and meet the needs of as many people in our Yarra Ranges community as possible,” he said.