Louise Pratt (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Today I was delighted to be part of Arthritis Australia's parliamentary summit on better care for arthritis and musculoskeletal conditions. Many of you would have seen the news the other day about the alarming rate of interventions on Australians through surgeries for chronic back and other osteoarthritis type conditions that are basically ineffective, relative to much less interventionist support.

Arthritis Australia today has brought together clinicians, researchers, peak groups, bureaucracies and, most importantly, consumers to really look at how we address out-of-pocket costs, innovative models of care, research and workforce. Too many Australians are experiencing unnecessary pain and suffering because they're not getting the level of care and the type of care that would make the most difference to their quality of life. So I really want to thank all of those who gave evidence and participated in the summit today, with particular thanks to Professor David Hunter; Professor Rachelle Buchbinder; Ms Jo Root, as someone with lived experience; and Associate Professor Jane Desborough. Thank you very much to everyone who was part of today's successful summit.