Lymphoedema Services

The Hon. C. BONAROS (15:14): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Health and Wellbeing a question about support for lymphoedema sufferers.

Leave granted.

The Hon. C. BONAROS: Lymphoedema is a chronic condition that causes painful swelling, often in the limbs, which is estimated to affect over 2,300 people in South Australia. For reasons unknown, SA is the only state in Australia that doesn't have a garment subsidy scheme or dedicated public service for sufferers of lymphoedema—a scheme that is. The minister has previously said:

…the Marshall Government is mindful of the health need for a compression garment subsidy scheme and is developing a business case and looking for funding solutions.

My question to the minister is:

1. How long has the government been developing a business case for a compression garment subsidy scheme, and when can South Australians expect to see the implementation of such a scheme in this state?

2. Can the minister provide detailed information as to the range of high-quality services available to sufferers that he has previously referred to in correspondence, and in particular referral pathways?

3. Will the minister agree to a roundtable meeting with members of the Lymphoedema Support Group of South Australia to discuss both the issues of therapy funding and a compression garment subsidy scheme?

The Hon. S.G. WADE (Minister for Health and Wellbeing) (15:16): I thank the honourable member for her question, and I appreciate the interest in the lymphoedema compression garment subsidy issue. I have had a number of meetings with government members, correspondence, and I acknowledge the honourable member's interest. Only yesterday, at the request of a government member, I met to discuss this scheme.

The honourable member quite rightly highlights that South Australia is the only state that doesn't have a lymphoedema compression garment subsidy scheme, and I think that is a damning indictment of the former Labor government. Whether it is endometriosis, whether it is a lymphoedema compression garment subsidy scheme, whether it is a whole range of women's health issues and broader health issues, South Australia lags behind other states and territories.

I think the honourable member adverted to the issue of how long the business case was under development. All I can say is: I don't know when it started, but it certainly started before this government came into office. I was aware that a business case had been worked on—sorry, of the former government claiming they were working on a business case for some time before the election.

In terms of the work being done in SA Health, I have received a business case and a briefing. The briefing raises a number of issues that I will need to consider in the context of the business case, and I will continue to work with my department on that.

The PRESIDENT: Supplementary, the Hon. Ms Bonaros.