Tuesday, 15 October 2019

 Mr DAVIS (Southern Metropolitan—Leader of the Opposition) (17:58): My matter is for the Minister for Health. She is not here tonight, but it can be raised with her. It relates to a paper produced by Osteoporosis Australia, Results for Victoria: Burden of Osteoporosis, Osteopenia and Associated Fractures in Victoria. It is a paper by Sanders, Watts and others from the Australian Catholic University and Deakin University, and it looks at the impact of poor bone health and estimates the cost of fractures, the cost impact being very significant.

The total number of fractures in Victoria over a 10-year period is expected to be 419 000, with a very significant increase in the impact of fractures where there is osteoporosis present. The paper points to the ageing of the population and the impact on women in particular. Hip fractures are a significant impact of osteoporosis, and the report points out that current projections suggest that by 2022 more than 30 000 hip fractures will be experienced each year, at a projected cost of $1.1 billion.

I am also in possession of a piece of correspondence to the Melbourne Osteoporosis Support Group and note the letter’s support for fracture liaison coordinators in Victoria. I particularly want to draw the minister’s attention to the need for those fracture liaison coordinators, and I quote:

Osteoporosis Australia released state burden of disease reports … clinics within the hospital system to provide a range of prevention and screening services for people with musculoskeletal conditions, including fracture and re-fracture prevention services.

It pointed to the need for those services and the need for support for the osteoporosis support groups. What I seek from the minister is a close examination of the need for support for osteoporosis support groups and coordinators in our hospitals. It is very clear that proper support for those services results in fewer fractures, less impact and better management of them when they occur and consequently less cost in terms of subsequent fractures and readmission to hospital. This is one of those circumstances where sensible spending will actually result in lower spending, and I ask the minister to look at these results closely.