Lymphoedema Services

The Hon. C. BONAROS (15:17): Just on to the last question: will the minister agree to a roundtable discussion with the advocacy groups on this very issue?

The Hon. S.G. WADE (Minister for Health and Wellbeing) (15:18): I am happy to do that. Actually, thanks for giving me a supplementary because it gives me an opportunity to indicate that not only have government members in this government lobbied me on this issue but I even had the experience of the federal minister lobbying me on this. He, too, was gobsmacked that we could be the only state in Australia without a lymphoedema compression garment subsidy.

I know that Greg Hunt knows as well as I do that not only have we inherited services that are poor compared to other states and territories, we have also inherited a health system that is far more expensive, that is both financially and in a service sense facing significant sustainability challenges. We will do what we can to recover services and we will do what we can to recover financial sustainability. The first step will be to look at the business case and see what is possible. In terms of meeting with the group, I am more than happy to meet with the lymphoedema group the honourable member refers to. If she was happy to host a meeting, I would be happy to be part of it.

The Hon. R.P. Wortley: You might be hiring Greg Hunt as a consultant soon.

The PRESIDENT: The Hon. Mr Wortley, you have the call. I was distracted by your interjection.