Mr PERRETT (Gympie—LNP) (4.04 pm):
Health and Well-being Queensland Bill – I rise to speak to the Health and Well-being Queensland Bill 2019. We all know that prevention is one of the best tools we have to reduce the growing burden on our health system. From an economic perspective, it improves the health of patients and delivers results. That is why it is outrageous that this government has wasted four years to debate this bill. This bill aims to establish a health promotion agency, Health and Wellbeing Queensland, as a statutory body.
This was a 2015 election commitment. That is more than four years ago. Clearly, it was not a priority. It is a pity that Queenslanders were not told it was not a priority. The explanatory notes state that HWQ will help improve the health and wellbeing of Queensland residents by reducing risk factors associated with chronic diseases and health inequities. Professor Whiteman from the QIMR Berghofer Research Institute told the committee—
… there is a great commonality of purpose in the public health community that there is support for this agency but a hope that the
establishment of it is grounded in reality.
HWQ will achieve its objectives by assisting and commissioning activities to prevent illness and
promote health and wellbeing. It will work and develop partnerships with individual Queenslanders and
a wide range of stakeholders from business, industry and community organisations, academics and
local councils. It will develop policy, provide advice to government, coordinate information, deliver
grants, monitor and evaluate relevant activities and establish a foundation to support HWQ.
It is clear that Queensland’s health system is under extreme pressure.
The demands on our health system have seen unacceptable blowouts and waiting periods for patients. My office is
continually inundated with Gympie patients who are frustrated that they cannot be treated either locally
or within a reasonable time frame. Mr Steven Vies of the Heart Foundation told the committee that—
… prevention must be given a greater priority and funding … With 30 per cent of the total state budget consumed by health
expenditure, we cannot continue on this trajectory. We need to do more than treat disease: we need to prevent it.
Queensland’s Chief Health Officer acknowledged that the system faces public health challenges
caused by our changing lifestyle and demographics. It is having a negative impact on patients’ quality
of life, the health system and our economy. The health of Queenslanders 2018 report has identified that
the factors contributing to this situation include an ageing population, high rates of obesity, an increasing
chronic disease burden, the life expectancy and chronic disease burden of Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander people, and the adverse effects of socio-economic factors.
One-third of the burden of disease is directly attributed to preventable risk factors. We are talking
about poor nutrition, obesity, high blood pressure and smoking, which accounts for 43 per cent of
Queensland deaths. The costs associated with these risk factors are significant for individuals and the
community. Life expectancy in adults can be reduced by up to 10 years from chronic diseases such as
type 2 diabetes, heart disease and cancer. Being overweight or obese frequently results in those
diseases.
In 2015 it was estimated that obesity related illness cost the healthcare system $756 million.
When you add to that the cost of absenteeism, productivity losses, a reduction in wellbeing and early
death, we are looking at an estimated impact of $11.2 billion on the state’s economy. The figures are
so much higher when you drill down to factors such as socio-economically disadvantaged areas, remote
regions and being Indigenous. There are large differences in the risk factors that lead to disease and
premature death across the Queensland population.
Death rates from lifestyle related chronic conditions were 50 per cent higher in socioeconomically disadvantaged areas compared to those from advantaged areas in 2015. They were
33 per cent higher for those from remote and very remote areas than for those in major cities in 2015.
They were 70 per cent higher for Indigenous populations compared to non-Indigenous populations.
Obesity rates were also out of proportion. They were 49 per cent higher in socio-economically
disadvantaged areas, 35 per cent higher in remote areas, 39 per cent higher in very remote areas and
39 per cent higher among Indigenous Queenslanders.
The government has not made it clear whether Queensland Health’s preventive health branch
will continue to work under these new arrangements or whether it will be completely transferred to
HWQ. What is concerning is that last year’s budget of $35.42 million represents a reduction of almost
$300,000 from the previous year, 2017-18. Too often we have seen that we have to judge the
government on what it does and not what it says.
At the same time as it cut the preventive health budget
we are watching our public hospitals being pushed to breaking point, and patient care is suffering.
Health was a basket case under the former Bligh government and is in bedlam under this one.
Professor Whiteman cautioned against too many competing interests and activities addressing
preventive care issues. He told the committee—
… while the agency is being established, having the full support of government where it is fully funded to carry out its tasks … we
would advocate that in the short to medium term that is a better use of the funds that would be directed towards it than trying to establish a new brand in a crowded marketplace of other philanthropic agencies.
…
… it is getting harder and harder and we spend more money trying to bring in a little bit of money. It was really just to be cautionary
about how realistic that might be.
The Public Health Association has also cautioned about the potential for conflicts of interest that
can arise with partnerships with industry and commercial organisations in health. It is important that
HWQ will not be just another government body competing in the same marketplace. More bureaucracy
does not deliver better patient care. Preventive care is more important for the patients, our health
system and our economy. The government cut the preventive health budget while at the same time we
are watching our public hospitals being pushed to breaking point, and patient care is suffering. It is
completely unacceptable. I do not oppose the bill.