Australian Craniofacial Unit

The Hon. J.M. RANKINE (Wright) (14:55): My question is to the Minister for Health. Minister, can you inform the house about the important milestones being celebrated by the Australian Craniofacial Unit this year and how the unit has helped change the lives of countless people in South Australia as well as nationally and internationally.

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING (Playford—Minister for Health, Minister for Mental Health and Substance Abuse, Minister for the Arts, Minister for Health Industries) (14:55): I would like to thank the member for Wright for her question. This year, South Australia's world-renowned Australian Craniofacial Unit is celebrating an impressive milestone, its 40^th anniversary. The unit was established in 1975 when a young gifted surgeon and his fellow eminent specialists approached premier Dunstan to support an ambitious project to establish a national centre of excellence in the field of craniofacial surgery in Adelaide. The visionary premier Dunstan was so impressed with the proposal he gave it an immediate go-ahead.

In 1975, the unit was the first of its kind in Australia. In fact, today, the Australian Craniofacial Unit at the Women's and Children's Hospital is still the only unit of its kind in Australia and is one of only two dedicated stand-alone multidisciplinary craniofacial units in the world. The unit provides services from both the Women's and Children's Hospital and the Royal Adelaide Hospital sites and is still headed up by the same young surgeon who approached premier Dunstan 40 years ago, the renowned craniofacial surgeon Professor David David.

Despite advances in medicine, around one in every 500 children is born with a craniofacial abnormality, and many other children and adults acquire craniofacial injuries as a result of accidents. This can have severe health impacts for those who are affected. It can also be a source of hurt and humiliation. Over the past 40 years, Professor David and his team of dedicated health professionals in the Australian Craniofacial Unit have brought hope and dignity to over 17,000 people of all ages in South Australia and also nationally and internationally. The life-changing treatment has allowed these people to live normal lives by improving their health outcomes and quality of life and helping to remove the stigma and suffering that can come with craniofacial abnormalities.

The unit has achieved national recognition as a centre of excellence in its field and is one of the few in the world that provides a comprehensive approach to patient care. It performs surgery that is highly specialised and complex, and ongoing patient treatment often spans many years. This relies upon the expertise of multidisciplinary teams made up of many different health professions. The unique service delivery model has earnt the Australian Craniofacial Unit international recognition and has attracted interest from craniofacial surgeons, researchers and clinicians from across the world.

As well as treating countless Australians here in Adelaide, each year teams of specialists from the unit treat over 400 patients in Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Hong Kong and the Middle East, changing the lives of these patients as well as teaching and exchanging knowledge with surgeons and medical staff. The unit also plays an important role in medical education, with many Australian and international craniofacial surgeons training in Adelaide. The unit is involved in all levels of medical training, from undergraduate to post-doctoral. It offers fellowships and has also implemented the world's first craniofacial Master's degree.

The unit is a South Australian success story which has ensured that many thousands of people have had the chance to live in our society with hope and dignity. As the unit celebrates its 40^th anniversary this year, I commend Professor David, his team and all those who have supported the unit over the past 40 years for the success of the unit and the many lives that have been and will continue to be changed.