One in four Australians has a neurological condition, and the cost to the economy as a whole, now over $100bn a year, is expected to rise.
More than 40 neurological and neuromuscular peak bodies have joined forces to present a blueprint for a six-year national action plan for neurological conditions to federal parliament today that could save as much as $7 billion a year.
“The blueprint … provides a scalable template for coordinated action, helping governments move from fragmented, short-term responses to lasting, systemic solutions,” said Anne Wilson, deputy chair of the Neurological Alliance Australia.
The umbrella term “neurological conditions” covers conditions such as cerebral palsy, dementia, migraine, epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, spinal conditions, stroke and traumatic brain injury, among others.
Economic modelling commissioned by the NAA was used to identify productivity improvement opportunities, ways to reduce preventable hospitalisations and coordinate services across health, disability and aged care.
That modelling suggested that investing in prevention, better treatment and rehabilitation across
the 11 most common neurological conditions could save $7 billion each year – or $42 billion
over the life of a National Action Plan.
The blueprint details actions for prevention, improved treatment and rehabilitation to address gaps in care, support and research, improve outcomes for people with the conditions and alleviate the pressure on disability, health and aged care systems. It aims to:
- reduce disease burden through prevention, early diagnosis, timely intervention
and equitable lifelong care; - close critical gaps in services, support and access to treatment;
- uphold the rights of children, adults and older Australians with neurological
conditions, along with their carers and families; - accelerate research, innovation and development of new therapies and
assistive technologies; and - build data systems to support coordinated national policy and planning.
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In 2022, Australia committed to the WHO goal to improve neurological care by 2031. The NAA said some progress had been made, including a start on collecting data, but there was not yet a coordinated response.
“Without a national strategy in place, Australia is missing critical opportunities to reduce
costs, ease pressure on already stretched services, and improve outcomes for millions of
people living with neurological conditions,” said Rohan Greenland, chair of the NAA.
“Australia is often a leader in international health policy. It’s time we led on neurological
conditions too.”
Prior to the election, Labor committed to two policies put forward by the NAA: “strengthen the NDIS by addressing barriers to access and improving education and training of NDIA staff about neurological conditions” and “establish a national Assistive Technology program to meet the needs of people with disability who do not qualify for the NDIS”.