The Stroke Foundation has today called for the Australian Government to take action on stroke to reduce the burden of this terrible disease on the Australian community.

Stroke Foundation Chief Executive Officer Sharon McGowan said the Government had an opportunity to vastly improve access to stroke treatment and support for survivors across Australia.

“Stroke causes terrible suffering and too many of the 470,000 survivors and carers living in our community are not getting the ongoing care and support they desperately need,” Ms McGowan said.

“Stroke attacks the brain, the human control centre. It impacts both physical and mental abilities, changing the lives of survivors and their loved ones forever.

“We’ve heard from too many survivors that leaving the hospital is like falling into a black hole. Post-discharge follow up care and support is an area that desperately needs Government investment.

“Almost half of all Australian stroke patients leave hospital without a plan for their ongoing recovery. A national follow up program would be a lifeline for stroke survivors and carers, helping them navigate the complex and often confusing community care system,” she said.

The national follow up program was one of the solutions outlined in the Stroke Foundation Prebudget submission 2017-2018: Better stroke care for all Australians.

Ms McGowan said modest Government investment in improving access to stroke treatment and support – as outlined in the submission – would deliver significant impact.

“Implementing best-practice clinical guidelines, expanding stroke telehealth networks and increasing public awareness will increase the number of Australians that can access treatment
and make a good recovery after stroke,” Ms McGowan said.

“It will also ensure more consistency of care. Currently, there is a huge variability in the quality and availability of best-practice stroke treatment.

“We know that rural and regional patients are more than twice as likely to miss out on standard stroke treatments as those in metro areas.”

Stroke costs the Australian economy an estimated $5 billion each year. With an ageing population and the projected increase in stroke, this figure will pale in comparison to the future cost burden.

“In our submission, the Stroke Foundation has provided the Government with an opportunity to improve the Budget bottom line in future years,” Ms McGowan said.

“Stroke doesn’t discriminate. It can happen to anyone, at any age, changing lives forever. 

“We look forward to working with the new Health Minister Greg Hunt to deliver much needed improvements to our stroke care system.”

The Stroke Foundation 2017-18 pre-Budget submission is available at: www.strokefoundation.org.au