PROFESSOR JEFFREY BRAITHWAITE Founding Director of the Australian Institute of Health Innovation (AIHI), Macquarie University, and leads the NHMRC Partnership Centre for Health System Sustainability (PCHSS)
A letter to our health system
If the last two years have taught us anything, it is
but lead. Please keep on doing so by prioritising
that living in a country with a healthcare system
your own health and wellbeing and that of your
that can meet the unexpected is a valuable asset.
family and friends. Research has shown that some
For the most part, health professionals in our state
worried people have skipped and delayed regular
and territory health systems have done just that.
health checks due to the pandemic. Some people,
They have rallied, not only through the pandemic,
locked down, failed to come for treatment. Fewer
but every time they were called on, such as to
mammograms were carried out during 2020 than
help those who suffered, physically or mentally, or
in the year before, for instance, potentially leading
both, from Australia’s droughts, fires, and floods.
to delayed diagnosis. While we are living through
At the dawn of 2022, I would like to take this
extraordinary times, your everyday health needs
opportunity to deliver a message of thanks and
do not disappear. It has never been easier to see a
encouragement to our health system.
GP or specialist with most now offering telehealth,
Dear Consumers, You are at the heart of our health system. Over the last two years there has been a coming together to ensure our community is safe and has access to the best possible prevention services and care. I have noted how many of you not only receive care,
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The Health Advocate • FEBRUARY 2022
or even simpler, phone consultations that you can experience from the comfort of your own home. And most importantly, while the majority of us have received our first two COVID-19 vaccinations, every citizen needs to do this, and please note when you are eligible for the booster and take appropriate action.
