Thursday, 16 November 2023

Regional dermatology services

Wendy LOVELL (Northern Victoria) (17:50): (599) My adjournment matter is for the Minister for Health, and it concerns the significant shortage of dermatologists faced by regional healthcare systems. The action that I seek is for the minister to develop a strategy to address the shortage of dermatologists in regional Victoria and also for the minister to advise me of any assistance she can provide for families who are forced to travel to Melbourne for specialist treatment for their children.

We would all agree that watching your child suffer is one of the most difficult things you can do as a parent, but for many families in regional Victoria it is a daily reality. Eczema and other skin conditions affect one in three children aged six or under, and it is one of the top 10 most common diseases in Australia. But with many regional families having no access to local specialists to treat their conditions, they can face a minefield in seeking support for their children.

Eczema Support Australia is one of the leading organisations campaigning for better support for young people in regional areas who face the disease on a daily basis, with one of their key priorities being to increase dermatologists in regional communities. With many families forced to travel to Melbourne regularly, 75 per cent of families reported that the condition placed a financial burden on their household. Families across Australia are bearing costs of $1.2 billion per year for medication, special food and clothing in an attempt to manage their children’s eczema.

One of my constituents from Kialla region told her family’s story of her child suffering from eczema before she was even able to verbalise her pain. Unfortunately, living outside of Melbourne, dermatologists are few and far between for families like hers. Without local specialists, regional communities often face a barrier in accessing information. In a desperate state many families will take to the internet in seeking support only to find misinformation, which has the potential to cause further harm. Simply searching the Australasian College of Dermatologists map of dermatologists reveals that the closest clinic for my Kialla constituent is in Sunbury. Faced with a 2-hour drive each way, this exposes a clear failure by the Victorian government to support the health needs of regional Victorians and the growing needs of regional communities. With the shortage expected to grow to 90 FTE dermatologists in 2030 across Australia, the issue is clearly growing. With only 6 per cent of dermatologists being in regional areas, the lack of regional training and supervision of training will only worsen the divide between regional and metropolitan access to dermatologists. I urge the minister to address this issue.