Lungnet

In its lead up to World COPD Day, The Australian Lung Foundation had personal briefings with a range of Members of Parliament. As a result of these briefings, the ALF was invited to make a submission to the Government's Backbench Committee on Health & Ageing. We were then invited to appear before the Committee's Inquiry into Health Funding on Friday 21 July.

This important event is part of an ongoing inquiry into health funding being conducted by the Federal government.

The ALF's aim in appearing before the Inquiry was to raise the profile of COPD and related lung conditions as a national health priority, in the hope of achieving greater understanding and financial recognition.

The ALF's submission emphasises that:

The majority of people with lung disease do not receive appropriate medical treatment because of a lack of available health services.

Less than 1% of Australians with irreversible lung disease currently receive the gold standard treatment, pulmonary rehabilitation (according to an ALF estimation).

The ALF's submission makes the case for greater accessibility to key diagnostic and management techniques for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease; greater awareness of COPD and its symptoms in the community; more equitable access to home oxygen therapy; greater support for self help patient support groups; and finally increased support for research opportunities to fully understand the impact COPD has in Australia, both socially and economically, and to bring about better health outcomes in the longer term.

The Australian Lung Foundation will make practical recommendations to lessen the cost of COPD to the health system through more effective prevention, diagnosis and management of the disease.

A copy of the ALF's formal submission is available  FINAL Submission - Health Funding Inquiry _20 March 2006 245.08 Kb

A copy of the script used by presenters during their appearance is available  FINAL Script for Government Inquiry Presentation 42.19 Kb

Content updated July 11 2008