Federal Member for Bonner, Ross Vasta today hosted a men’s health information session for members of Mt Gravatt Men’s Shed, as part of Men’s Health Week 2017.

He was joined by Dr David Hunt from Mt Gravatt, who spoke to Mt Gravatt Men’s Shed members about health-related issues they faced, and State Member for Mansfield, Ian Walker.

“I know a number of men here whose lives have been changed for the better since joining this Men’s Shed,” Dr Hunt said.

“Men’s Sheds are a wonderful health initiative and it’s great to see Ross get involved today.”

President of Mt Gravatt Men’s Shed, Murray Rogash, said Men’s Sheds were health-focused and helped save lives.

“We have a medical doctor, psychologist, and Minister of Religion who help meet our members’ physical, mental and spiritual needs,” Mr Rogash said.

“On August 7th, we will be offering members another Spanner in the Works tune-up. Spanner in the Works is a great initiative by the Australian Men’s Shed Association that encourages members to stay on top of their physical and emotional health with regular health check-ups.”

Mr Vasta said Men’s Sheds give their members an opportunity to gather together to take part in a range of activities, helping stave off social isolation while keeping member’s minds and bodies engaged.

“This year the theme for Men’s Health Week is Healthy Body-Healthy Mind: Keeping the Balance, which is exactly what men’s sheds are all about,” Mr Vasta said.

“I’m proud to support Mt Gravatt Men’s Shed and I’m pleased to have been able to deliver them $22,000 in funding recently to install new solar panels, which will help them continue their good work improving the health and well-being of members of our community.”

For more on Spanner in the Works visit http://malehealth.org.au.

Today I’d like to speak on one of the most serious health issues this country faces: type 1 diabetes. I’d like to share the personal stories of some of my constituents who have type 1 diabetes, to highlight the importance of this issue and to show what this Government is doing to support diabetics and their families.

Type 1 diabetes is not preventable or curable. It’s a chronic, life-long and life-threatening condition. Type 1 diabetics face a constant struggle to keep their blood sugar levels stable. Without around-the-clock checks the consequences can be dire. This ranges from minor complications to something as terrible as passing away in one’s sleep from Dead in Bed Syndrome.

Many parents have shared with me the stress and anxiety of life with a child with type 1 diabetes. Imagine living with the fear your little one might not wake up every time they go to sleep. One mother wrote to me about the constant battle to keep her 2-year-old boy’s sugar levels within a safe range. This little boy has to be woken by his parents several times in the night to monitor his blood sugar levels.

Another father shared with me how he has to check his 6-year-old son three times a night, every night, and spend hours getting his blood sugar back to normal. He gets 20 minutes of sleep between checks. Just imagine the toll this would take.

That’s why I was thrilled when the Coalition Government announced in May this year that it will invest $54 million to subsidise continuous glucose monitoring technology for children and young adults under 21 to help them manage their type 1 diabetes. Our commitment to subsidise CGM devices on the National Diabetes Services Scheme will benefit an estimated 4000 young diabetics.

CGM devices help children and their parents monitor their blood sugar levels around the clock through a small, wearable device that will instantly warn them if glucose levels are getting too low. This removes the need to draw blood through a finger prick multiple times a day. 

I’ve received overwhelming support for this initiative from my constituents. One young woman who’s already trialled the technology told me it’s saved her many times. She’s able to sleep right through the night for the first time in five years! The peace of mind CGM devices give to type 1 diabetics is priceless and I’m proud to be part of a Government that’s supporting the use of this amazing technology.

I’m also proud to support initiatives working toward a cure for type 1 diabetes. Just recently I met with Cheryl Burton and her 18-year-old son Joshua. Josh has been living with type 1 diabetes since he was 4 years old. He’s passionate about a cure that would help him and thousands of others live a normal life free of fingerpicks and the lingering fear that comes with this autoimmune disease.

Right now Josh is fundraising for the JDRF One Walk. JDRF’s mission is to raise funds for scientific research to better treat, prevent, and ultimately cure type 1 diabetes. The JDRF One Walk is the world’s biggest type 1 diabetes fundraising event, raising over $85 million each year for life-changing research. Well done to Josh for supporting this vital cause. I wish him all the best in future.

Type 1 diabetes is a chronic, life-threatening disease that sadly is too often confused with type 2 diabetes, which is caused by lifestyle factors. I will continue to raise awareness of this condition and I will continue to support this Government’s efforts to support Australians living with type 1 diabetes.

Today I want to talk about a very special addition to the Bayside community in my electorate of Bonner.

Just recently, Yulu-Burri-Ba Aboriginal Corporation for Community Health opened a new clinic in Wynnum. I had the pleasure of touring the facility with Minister for Rural Health, Senator the Hon Fiona Nash. We got to see their wonderful work firsthand and I thank them for their hospitality.

They have been one of the great success stories in the field of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health. For over 25 years they’ve provided primary health care and other health services on North Stradbroke Island.

In that time they’ve continued to grow and I’m thrilled to see them expand their services to Wynnum. They offer GP services, after hours care, home visits where needed, a transport service and much more that will benefit so many lives.

Yulu-Burri-Ba has achieved so many positive outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. I congratulate the team for all their hard work and dedication. They should be incredibly proud of everything they’ve accomplished.

It’s easy to see the enormous benefit their new clinic will be to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community on Brisbane’s Bayside. I look forward to paying them another visit in future and wish them every success going forward.

Federal Member for Bonner, Ross Vasta, today said the launch of the Australian Government’s ‘An invitation that could save your life’ will boost screening awareness in at risk groups. 

Breast cancer is the second most common cause of cancer-related deaths among women in Australia, however if detected early and managed nine-out-of-10 cases can be successfully treated.

Mr Vasta said all Australian women aged 50 to 74 will receive an invitation that could save their life as part of a $55.7 million initiative.

“This campaign also marked the first time Australian women aged 70 to 74 have been specifically targeted for breast screening awareness, with an additional 220,000 breast screens expected to be delivered over four years as a direct result,” Mr Vasta said.

“I encourage all women in Bonner aged between 50 and 74 to make a breast screening appointment as we know the more Australian women who are screened, the more cancers that are detected. It’s an invitation that could save your life.”

The additional screening delivered as a result of the campaign could potentially lead to the detection of an extra 600 breast cancers across Australia a year.

More than 1.8 million women are screened every two years and more than 75 per cent of breast cancers occur in women over 50. Most women who get breast cancer also have no family history.  

The ‘An invitation that could save your life’ campaign will run across print, radio and online media to make sure women who receive a breast screen invitation in the mail are aware of its importance. 

The Abbott Government’s $55 million commitment will cover the cost of the promotional campaign, as well as the cost of additional invitations and free breast screenings generated as a result.

Women aged outside of the 50 to 74 age group are encouraged to talk to their GP or health professional to find out if breast screening is appropriate for them. For further information, please visit www.australia.gov.au/breastscreen.

Patients in Bonner are set to receive better access to frontline health services, with Federal Member for Bonner Ross Vasta announcing who will be running the new Primary Health Network locally.

Primary Health Networks – or PHNs – are part of the Abbott Government’s plans to improve the health of the nation and will replace Medicare Locals from July 1. 

Mr Vasta said the successful bid by Greater Metro South Brisbane Medicare Local to become the Brisbane South Primary Health Network was good news for local residents.

“The new Primary Health Network will ensure the people of Bonner are able to access the right care, in the right place, at the right time,” Mr Vasta said.

“The key difference between Primary Health Networks and Medicare Locals is that PHNs will focus on improving access to frontline services, not backroom bureaucracy as we saw under Labor.”

“This is backed by the fact PHNs will deliver improved access to primary care services for local patients, as well as better co-ordination with local hospitals, while at the same time improving the overall operational efficiency of the network by 30 per cent.”

“There’s no doubting that, individually, there were some high-quality Medicare Locals across the country; however there were also plenty that haven’t lived up to Labor’s promise.”

The nation’s 31 new Primary Health Networks will better align with state Local Hospital Networks. 

Mr Vasta said PHNs would work directly with GPs, other primary health care providers, secondary care providers, hospitals and the broader community to ensure improved outcomes for patients.

“In addition to general health, the Abbott Government had also set PHNs six key priorities for targeted work in mental health, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health, population health, health workforce, eHealth and aged care,” Mr Vasta said.

Mr Vasta said the Abbott Government had also added additional checks and balances via the creation of PHN Community Advisory Committees, which will ensure all patients and local communities can provide feedback to, and have direct input into, the PHN to ensure they deliver the localised health care requirements that were unique to their region. 

PHNs were selected following a thorough tender process run at arm’s length by the Department of Health.

People in Bonner who are suffering from pancreatic cancer will be able to access the breakthrough drug Abraxane on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) from November 1.

Member for Bonner, Ross Vasta, said pancreatic cancer was a highly aggressive disease with very few treatment options.

“The Australian Government has committed over $92 million over four years to subsidise Abraxane, which will improve the lives of around 1,500 Australians and their families,” Mr Vasta said.

Without the PBS listing of this medicine, patients would face an average cost of $16,000 for a course of treatment, at an average cost of $1,300 per script. Once listed on the PBS, that script will cost a concessional patient only $6.00.

The Commonwealth spends more than $9 billion annually to fund existing items on the PBS, which is up a staggering 80 per cent in the past decade.

The listing of nanoparticle albumin bound paclitaxel (Abraxane®) was recommended by the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee in March, and the details were agreed with the pharmaceutical company in July. It has now received approval from Cabinet.

“Following agreement of pricing and listing arrangements with the pharmaceutical company, the Government has taken less than two months to consider the listing, making it one of the fastest listing approvals for a high cost medicine in recent years,” Mr Vasta said.

All PBS listings are subject to final arrangements being met by the suppliers of the medicine.