Concern as Ramsay Health moves to close bulk of psychology clinics
Seventeen of Ramsay's 20 psychology clinics will close by September, sparking concerns about how people will access mental health care across the country.
Guest: Dr Sara Quinn, President of the Australian Psychological Society
Dr Sara Quinn, President of the Australian Psychological Society
Producer: Eddy Diamond
If you or anyone you know needs help, call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636Statement to ABC Radio National Breakfast from Ramsay Health Care
"Ramsay Health Care is reshaping how it delivers community-based mental health support to better meet the evolving needs of clients and clinicians.
After careful consideration, we are transitioning Ramsay Psychology to a more flexible and sustainable model, which includes the progressive closure of 17 clinics by the end of August. Three clinics, in Cairns (QLD), Charlestown (NSW) and Joondalup (WA), will remain open to support local needs, maintain key partnerships and pilot more integrated models of care.
We understand this change might be unsettling and we are working closely with our psychologists to ensure every client is supported and has continuity of care, whether through our existing and expanded Telehealth service or with another trusted provider, depending on what is clinically appropriate.
This change is part of Ramsay's broader strategy to strengthen how we deliver high-quality, accessible and connected care across hospital, home and virtual settings."
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3 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Author Jackie French wants you to find the champion who'll make 2026 count
Jackie French wants you to think long and hard about who you nominate for Australian of the Year. And it's not because she found her time as Senior Australian of the Year in 2015 such hard work. It's because of all the things she was able to achieve in those 12 months. Nominations for the 2026 Australian of the Year, Senior Australian of the Year, Young Australian of the Year and Australia's Local Hero close at midnight on July 31. The only way someone can be considered for the annual awards, which were first presented in 1960, is if a member of the public nominates them. A decade after she received the honour, as she encourages Australians to think about who to nominate for the 2026 awards, French has recalled her own award's impact on her work. The environmental campaigner and author of novels like The Whisperer's War and beloved children's books like Diary of a Wombat spent her time as Senior Australian of the Year promoting literacy and urging others to recognise the transformational power of reading, creativity and storytelling in the lives of young people. And everywhere she went, people listened to her. "One of the hard things, though, when you're an advocate and you've got a short period of time is that some things can just be done with the stroke of a ministerial pen," she said. "Getting dyslexia classified as a disability, getting the way teachers are trained changed, getting a prototype of what that could look like." Having overcome dyslexia herself, she's passionate about having it recognised more easily in schools so that as many children as possible can get help early. CLICK HERE TO NOMINATE SOMEONE NOW! "I think I expected that within a couple of weeks or a couple of months, everything would change. And of course, it hasn't. People have to be trained. People have to be trained to actually train the trainers, who then need to train the teachers," she said. "[But] it's the way that teaching reading and writing in our schools is changing because of the work I did that year." But she also saw other changes happen quickly. "You can get things done. [For example] speaking to the Northern Territory chief minister, in a very Northern Territory way - he was actually holding a beer at a backyard barbecue - about why my literacy needed to be taught in prisons, which was one of the other things I campaigned for," she said. "I went to prisons and drug rehabilitation areas around Australia, finding out that just about every person in a medium security prison wasn't able to read or write. "And just at the barbecue, the chief minister said, 'Well, they're doing nothing else but sitting on their arses, aren't they?' He calls over his PA or whatever it was and said, 'We'll get it done'." But she cringed at the memory of being invited to the Lodge and lambasting then Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull at his approach to changing copyright laws, even while she was shaking his hand. "I'm still very embarrassed ... but it was the only way. I knew that greeting or shaking hands was the only time I was going to give a meeting with him." She also played a role in reversing a proposal for a mine near her home in Majors Creek, NSW, to process cyanide upstream of the community's drinking water. And she still cherished the memory of realising that she and her fellow recipients were, for the first time, all women. "We did an enormous amount of work," she said of the ensuing 12 months. "It was absolutely gruelling work that we did to get the projects going, and we kept checking on each other, just saying, basically, how are you going? "And I suspect we may have been the only group of recipients who did that, and I think it was again, because we were all women." READ THEIR STORIES In the same year, she was named National Children's Laureate, and said she found the double responsibility quite overwhelming. "I really urge people to nominate, but when you nominate, remember the criteria," she said. "This isn't for someone who has done something wonderful. That's what all of the awards are for - the King's birthday awards and things like that, for what people have already done when you nominate them. "Nominate someone who can use that year to really, really make a difference." Help find the 2026 Australian of the Year, Senior Australian of the Year, Young Australian of the Year and Australia's Local Hero by nominating someone you admire. The only way someone can be considered for the annual awards, which were first presented in 1960, is if a member of the public nominates them. Nominate online at or scan the QR code on this page. Nominations close at midnight on July 31. Jackie French wants you to think long and hard about who you nominate for Australian of the Year. And it's not because she found her time as Senior Australian of the Year in 2015 such hard work. It's because of all the things she was able to achieve in those 12 months. Nominations for the 2026 Australian of the Year, Senior Australian of the Year, Young Australian of the Year and Australia's Local Hero close at midnight on July 31. The only way someone can be considered for the annual awards, which were first presented in 1960, is if a member of the public nominates them. A decade after she received the honour, as she encourages Australians to think about who to nominate for the 2026 awards, French has recalled her own award's impact on her work. The environmental campaigner and author of novels like The Whisperer's War and beloved children's books like Diary of a Wombat spent her time as Senior Australian of the Year promoting literacy and urging others to recognise the transformational power of reading, creativity and storytelling in the lives of young people. And everywhere she went, people listened to her. "One of the hard things, though, when you're an advocate and you've got a short period of time is that some things can just be done with the stroke of a ministerial pen," she said. "Getting dyslexia classified as a disability, getting the way teachers are trained changed, getting a prototype of what that could look like." Having overcome dyslexia herself, she's passionate about having it recognised more easily in schools so that as many children as possible can get help early. CLICK HERE TO NOMINATE SOMEONE NOW! "I think I expected that within a couple of weeks or a couple of months, everything would change. And of course, it hasn't. People have to be trained. People have to be trained to actually train the trainers, who then need to train the teachers," she said. "[But] it's the way that teaching reading and writing in our schools is changing because of the work I did that year." But she also saw other changes happen quickly. "You can get things done. [For example] speaking to the Northern Territory chief minister, in a very Northern Territory way - he was actually holding a beer at a backyard barbecue - about why my literacy needed to be taught in prisons, which was one of the other things I campaigned for," she said. "I went to prisons and drug rehabilitation areas around Australia, finding out that just about every person in a medium security prison wasn't able to read or write. "And just at the barbecue, the chief minister said, 'Well, they're doing nothing else but sitting on their arses, aren't they?' He calls over his PA or whatever it was and said, 'We'll get it done'." But she cringed at the memory of being invited to the Lodge and lambasting then Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull at his approach to changing copyright laws, even while she was shaking his hand. "I'm still very embarrassed ... but it was the only way. I knew that greeting or shaking hands was the only time I was going to give a meeting with him." She also played a role in reversing a proposal for a mine near her home in Majors Creek, NSW, to process cyanide upstream of the community's drinking water. And she still cherished the memory of realising that she and her fellow recipients were, for the first time, all women. "We did an enormous amount of work," she said of the ensuing 12 months. "It was absolutely gruelling work that we did to get the projects going, and we kept checking on each other, just saying, basically, how are you going? "And I suspect we may have been the only group of recipients who did that, and I think it was again, because we were all women." READ THEIR STORIES In the same year, she was named National Children's Laureate, and said she found the double responsibility quite overwhelming. "I really urge people to nominate, but when you nominate, remember the criteria," she said. "This isn't for someone who has done something wonderful. That's what all of the awards are for - the King's birthday awards and things like that, for what people have already done when you nominate them. "Nominate someone who can use that year to really, really make a difference." Help find the 2026 Australian of the Year, Senior Australian of the Year, Young Australian of the Year and Australia's Local Hero by nominating someone you admire. The only way someone can be considered for the annual awards, which were first presented in 1960, is if a member of the public nominates them. Nominate online at or scan the QR code on this page. Nominations close at midnight on July 31. Jackie French wants you to think long and hard about who you nominate for Australian of the Year. And it's not because she found her time as Senior Australian of the Year in 2015 such hard work. It's because of all the things she was able to achieve in those 12 months. Nominations for the 2026 Australian of the Year, Senior Australian of the Year, Young Australian of the Year and Australia's Local Hero close at midnight on July 31. The only way someone can be considered for the annual awards, which were first presented in 1960, is if a member of the public nominates them. A decade after she received the honour, as she encourages Australians to think about who to nominate for the 2026 awards, French has recalled her own award's impact on her work. The environmental campaigner and author of novels like The Whisperer's War and beloved children's books like Diary of a Wombat spent her time as Senior Australian of the Year promoting literacy and urging others to recognise the transformational power of reading, creativity and storytelling in the lives of young people. And everywhere she went, people listened to her. "One of the hard things, though, when you're an advocate and you've got a short period of time is that some things can just be done with the stroke of a ministerial pen," she said. "Getting dyslexia classified as a disability, getting the way teachers are trained changed, getting a prototype of what that could look like." Having overcome dyslexia herself, she's passionate about having it recognised more easily in schools so that as many children as possible can get help early. CLICK HERE TO NOMINATE SOMEONE NOW! "I think I expected that within a couple of weeks or a couple of months, everything would change. And of course, it hasn't. People have to be trained. People have to be trained to actually train the trainers, who then need to train the teachers," she said. "[But] it's the way that teaching reading and writing in our schools is changing because of the work I did that year." But she also saw other changes happen quickly. "You can get things done. [For example] speaking to the Northern Territory chief minister, in a very Northern Territory way - he was actually holding a beer at a backyard barbecue - about why my literacy needed to be taught in prisons, which was one of the other things I campaigned for," she said. "I went to prisons and drug rehabilitation areas around Australia, finding out that just about every person in a medium security prison wasn't able to read or write. "And just at the barbecue, the chief minister said, 'Well, they're doing nothing else but sitting on their arses, aren't they?' He calls over his PA or whatever it was and said, 'We'll get it done'." But she cringed at the memory of being invited to the Lodge and lambasting then Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull at his approach to changing copyright laws, even while she was shaking his hand. "I'm still very embarrassed ... but it was the only way. I knew that greeting or shaking hands was the only time I was going to give a meeting with him." She also played a role in reversing a proposal for a mine near her home in Majors Creek, NSW, to process cyanide upstream of the community's drinking water. And she still cherished the memory of realising that she and her fellow recipients were, for the first time, all women. "We did an enormous amount of work," she said of the ensuing 12 months. "It was absolutely gruelling work that we did to get the projects going, and we kept checking on each other, just saying, basically, how are you going? "And I suspect we may have been the only group of recipients who did that, and I think it was again, because we were all women." READ THEIR STORIES In the same year, she was named National Children's Laureate, and said she found the double responsibility quite overwhelming. "I really urge people to nominate, but when you nominate, remember the criteria," she said. "This isn't for someone who has done something wonderful. That's what all of the awards are for - the King's birthday awards and things like that, for what people have already done when you nominate them. "Nominate someone who can use that year to really, really make a difference." Help find the 2026 Australian of the Year, Senior Australian of the Year, Young Australian of the Year and Australia's Local Hero by nominating someone you admire. The only way someone can be considered for the annual awards, which were first presented in 1960, is if a member of the public nominates them. Nominate online at or scan the QR code on this page. Nominations close at midnight on July 31. Jackie French wants you to think long and hard about who you nominate for Australian of the Year. And it's not because she found her time as Senior Australian of the Year in 2015 such hard work. It's because of all the things she was able to achieve in those 12 months. Nominations for the 2026 Australian of the Year, Senior Australian of the Year, Young Australian of the Year and Australia's Local Hero close at midnight on July 31. The only way someone can be considered for the annual awards, which were first presented in 1960, is if a member of the public nominates them. A decade after she received the honour, as she encourages Australians to think about who to nominate for the 2026 awards, French has recalled her own award's impact on her work. The environmental campaigner and author of novels like The Whisperer's War and beloved children's books like Diary of a Wombat spent her time as Senior Australian of the Year promoting literacy and urging others to recognise the transformational power of reading, creativity and storytelling in the lives of young people. And everywhere she went, people listened to her. "One of the hard things, though, when you're an advocate and you've got a short period of time is that some things can just be done with the stroke of a ministerial pen," she said. "Getting dyslexia classified as a disability, getting the way teachers are trained changed, getting a prototype of what that could look like." Having overcome dyslexia herself, she's passionate about having it recognised more easily in schools so that as many children as possible can get help early. CLICK HERE TO NOMINATE SOMEONE NOW! "I think I expected that within a couple of weeks or a couple of months, everything would change. And of course, it hasn't. People have to be trained. People have to be trained to actually train the trainers, who then need to train the teachers," she said. "[But] it's the way that teaching reading and writing in our schools is changing because of the work I did that year." But she also saw other changes happen quickly. "You can get things done. [For example] speaking to the Northern Territory chief minister, in a very Northern Territory way - he was actually holding a beer at a backyard barbecue - about why my literacy needed to be taught in prisons, which was one of the other things I campaigned for," she said. "I went to prisons and drug rehabilitation areas around Australia, finding out that just about every person in a medium security prison wasn't able to read or write. "And just at the barbecue, the chief minister said, 'Well, they're doing nothing else but sitting on their arses, aren't they?' He calls over his PA or whatever it was and said, 'We'll get it done'." But she cringed at the memory of being invited to the Lodge and lambasting then Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull at his approach to changing copyright laws, even while she was shaking his hand. "I'm still very embarrassed ... but it was the only way. I knew that greeting or shaking hands was the only time I was going to give a meeting with him." She also played a role in reversing a proposal for a mine near her home in Majors Creek, NSW, to process cyanide upstream of the community's drinking water. And she still cherished the memory of realising that she and her fellow recipients were, for the first time, all women. "We did an enormous amount of work," she said of the ensuing 12 months. "It was absolutely gruelling work that we did to get the projects going, and we kept checking on each other, just saying, basically, how are you going? "And I suspect we may have been the only group of recipients who did that, and I think it was again, because we were all women." READ THEIR STORIES In the same year, she was named National Children's Laureate, and said she found the double responsibility quite overwhelming. "I really urge people to nominate, but when you nominate, remember the criteria," she said. "This isn't for someone who has done something wonderful. That's what all of the awards are for - the King's birthday awards and things like that, for what people have already done when you nominate them. "Nominate someone who can use that year to really, really make a difference." Help find the 2026 Australian of the Year, Senior Australian of the Year, Young Australian of the Year and Australia's Local Hero by nominating someone you admire. The only way someone can be considered for the annual awards, which were first presented in 1960, is if a member of the public nominates them. Nominate online at or scan the QR code on this page. Nominations close at midnight on July 31.
The Advertiser
7 hours ago
- The Advertiser
A smile, though endometriosis is no laughing matter
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"For people who don't have chronic conditions, all of a sudden they could get a cancer diagnosis, something could happen, and that puts a lot of strain on families, so that helps ease that strain, and every little bit counts," she said. Labor made health a centrepiece of its election campaign, pledging $8.5 billion to strengthen Medicare in a bid to make nine out of 10 visits to the GP free by 2030. Pressed during Question Time about bulk billing rates, Mr Albanese pulled out a Medicare card, as he had often done on the campaign trail. "The timeline hasn't changed, the investment is unchanged, the modelling is the same," the prime minister said. Mr Butler also clarified the figures around expected uptake of an expanded bulk billing incentive following criticism rates would take years to improve. But the health minister defended the government's modelling which expects fully bulk-billed practices to rise from about a quarter to three. Opposition health spokeswoman Anne Ruston said people going to the doctor were paying out of pocket costs higher than what they had ever been. "Right the way through the election campaign, the prime minister waving around his Medicare card and telling Australians and I quote, 'All you'll need is your Medicare card, not your credit card,' was actually misleading the Australian public about the reality that is currently our health care system at the moment," she told ABC's RN. Cara Walker was all smiles when she met Anthony Albanese, but as a woman living with endometriosis, she knows the strain that comes with managing a chronic condition. Labor is preparing to introduce legislation to parliament this week which will cap the cost of prescriptions on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme to $25 from $31.60 from 2026. Ahead of the bill being presented to the lower house, the prime minister and Health Minister Mark Butler on Tuesday hosted a group of women impacted by endometriosis to discuss the changes. Endometriosis is a disease which tissue grows outside of the uterus, often causing severe pain. Labor amended and made new listings for contraception, endometriosis and IVF on the PBS ahead of the federal election campaign this year. Ms Walker told Mr Albanese chopping and changing between medications to manage chronic conditions quickly added up and was a hit to the hip pocket. "For people who don't have chronic conditions, all of a sudden they could get a cancer diagnosis, something could happen, and that puts a lot of strain on families, so that helps ease that strain, and every little bit counts," she said. Labor made health a centrepiece of its election campaign, pledging $8.5 billion to strengthen Medicare in a bid to make nine out of 10 visits to the GP free by 2030. Pressed during Question Time about bulk billing rates, Mr Albanese pulled out a Medicare card, as he had often done on the campaign trail. "The timeline hasn't changed, the investment is unchanged, the modelling is the same," the prime minister said. Mr Butler also clarified the figures around expected uptake of an expanded bulk billing incentive following criticism rates would take years to improve. But the health minister defended the government's modelling which expects fully bulk-billed practices to rise from about a quarter to three. Opposition health spokeswoman Anne Ruston said people going to the doctor were paying out of pocket costs higher than what they had ever been. "Right the way through the election campaign, the prime minister waving around his Medicare card and telling Australians and I quote, 'All you'll need is your Medicare card, not your credit card,' was actually misleading the Australian public about the reality that is currently our health care system at the moment," she told ABC's RN. Cara Walker was all smiles when she met Anthony Albanese, but as a woman living with endometriosis, she knows the strain that comes with managing a chronic condition. Labor is preparing to introduce legislation to parliament this week which will cap the cost of prescriptions on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme to $25 from $31.60 from 2026. Ahead of the bill being presented to the lower house, the prime minister and Health Minister Mark Butler on Tuesday hosted a group of women impacted by endometriosis to discuss the changes. Endometriosis is a disease which tissue grows outside of the uterus, often causing severe pain. Labor amended and made new listings for contraception, endometriosis and IVF on the PBS ahead of the federal election campaign this year. Ms Walker told Mr Albanese chopping and changing between medications to manage chronic conditions quickly added up and was a hit to the hip pocket. "For people who don't have chronic conditions, all of a sudden they could get a cancer diagnosis, something could happen, and that puts a lot of strain on families, so that helps ease that strain, and every little bit counts," she said. Labor made health a centrepiece of its election campaign, pledging $8.5 billion to strengthen Medicare in a bid to make nine out of 10 visits to the GP free by 2030. Pressed during Question Time about bulk billing rates, Mr Albanese pulled out a Medicare card, as he had often done on the campaign trail. "The timeline hasn't changed, the investment is unchanged, the modelling is the same," the prime minister said. Mr Butler also clarified the figures around expected uptake of an expanded bulk billing incentive following criticism rates would take years to improve. But the health minister defended the government's modelling which expects fully bulk-billed practices to rise from about a quarter to three. Opposition health spokeswoman Anne Ruston said people going to the doctor were paying out of pocket costs higher than what they had ever been. "Right the way through the election campaign, the prime minister waving around his Medicare card and telling Australians and I quote, 'All you'll need is your Medicare card, not your credit card,' was actually misleading the Australian public about the reality that is currently our health care system at the moment," she told ABC's RN. Cara Walker was all smiles when she met Anthony Albanese, but as a woman living with endometriosis, she knows the strain that comes with managing a chronic condition. Labor is preparing to introduce legislation to parliament this week which will cap the cost of prescriptions on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme to $25 from $31.60 from 2026. Ahead of the bill being presented to the lower house, the prime minister and Health Minister Mark Butler on Tuesday hosted a group of women impacted by endometriosis to discuss the changes. Endometriosis is a disease which tissue grows outside of the uterus, often causing severe pain. Labor amended and made new listings for contraception, endometriosis and IVF on the PBS ahead of the federal election campaign this year. Ms Walker told Mr Albanese chopping and changing between medications to manage chronic conditions quickly added up and was a hit to the hip pocket. "For people who don't have chronic conditions, all of a sudden they could get a cancer diagnosis, something could happen, and that puts a lot of strain on families, so that helps ease that strain, and every little bit counts," she said. Labor made health a centrepiece of its election campaign, pledging $8.5 billion to strengthen Medicare in a bid to make nine out of 10 visits to the GP free by 2030. Pressed during Question Time about bulk billing rates, Mr Albanese pulled out a Medicare card, as he had often done on the campaign trail. "The timeline hasn't changed, the investment is unchanged, the modelling is the same," the prime minister said. Mr Butler also clarified the figures around expected uptake of an expanded bulk billing incentive following criticism rates would take years to improve. But the health minister defended the government's modelling which expects fully bulk-billed practices to rise from about a quarter to three. Opposition health spokeswoman Anne Ruston said people going to the doctor were paying out of pocket costs higher than what they had ever been. "Right the way through the election campaign, the prime minister waving around his Medicare card and telling Australians and I quote, 'All you'll need is your Medicare card, not your credit card,' was actually misleading the Australian public about the reality that is currently our health care system at the moment," she told ABC's RN.
The Advertiser
10 hours ago
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Why are there still hepatitis C deaths?
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Yet despite this, about 70,000 Australians still live with hepatitis C. Why, in a country with universal health care and a commitment to disease elimination, are so many people still being left behind? New analysis done by Hepatitis Australia shows that 84 per cent of people now living with hepatitis C no longer inject drugs or contracted the virus in other ways: through blood transfusions before blood screening was introduced in 1990; unsafe tattooing; or medical and dental procedures overseas in countries with less rigorous infection control. In Australia, hepatitis C has primarily been associated with injecting drug use. Significant progress has been made in working with people who inject drugs through community-led outreach, peer programs, and harm reduction services like needle and syringe exchanges. With almost 30 per cent of the prison population injecting while they are incarcerated, prisons are the primary sites of transmission for hepatitis C. Our analysis shows that in NSW, 40 per cent of all hepatitis C retreatments are delivered in prisons, and needle exchange programs are needed to prevent transmission and reinfection. Australia's response to viral hepatitis needs to adapt to the changing nature of the population. While people who inject drugs must always be a priority in our work to eliminate viral hepatitis, a new focus is needed on the many people who might not realise they live with hepatitis C or were told in the past that there was nothing they could do about it. Community hepatitis organisations create stigma-free pathways for people to seek testing and treatment for hepatitis C. When we look at the demographics of this "missing group" of about 59,000 people, they are on average aged 40 to 65, are predominantly male and might have injected drugs, even just once, in their youth or had a tattoo overseas. Hepatitis C is a ticking time bomb that slowly damages and inflames the liver, leading to serious liver disease and, potentially, cancer if left untreated. Most people have no symptoms of hepatitis C for many years until their liver is seriously affected. No one should die from a curable disease because of stigma, silence or a missed opportunity. Australia has what it takes to eliminate hepatitis C. We must act with urgency and compassion to make sure no one is left behind. Every so often, a medical breakthrough reshapes the health landscape and offers new hope. The cure for hepatitis C is one such medical breakthrough - as significant as the discovery of penicillin. It has saved millions around the world from developing severe liver disease and liver cancer by curing their hepatitis C. It is the first ever drug to cure a virus and completely cure a chronic disease, and has been declared an "essential medicine" by the World Health Organisation. It forms the backbone of treatments offered to people living with hepatitis C in Australia today - a painless cure of one tablet per day for up to 12 weeks. It's a simple molecule that blocks the virus from replicating and is very effective, has minimal side effects, and is vastly superior to previous treatments like interferon. Since it became available under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme in 2016, 62.9 per cent of all people living in Australia with hepatitis C have received the cure. Yet despite this, about 70,000 Australians still live with hepatitis C. Why, in a country with universal health care and a commitment to disease elimination, are so many people still being left behind? New analysis done by Hepatitis Australia shows that 84 per cent of people now living with hepatitis C no longer inject drugs or contracted the virus in other ways: through blood transfusions before blood screening was introduced in 1990; unsafe tattooing; or medical and dental procedures overseas in countries with less rigorous infection control. In Australia, hepatitis C has primarily been associated with injecting drug use. Significant progress has been made in working with people who inject drugs through community-led outreach, peer programs, and harm reduction services like needle and syringe exchanges. With almost 30 per cent of the prison population injecting while they are incarcerated, prisons are the primary sites of transmission for hepatitis C. Our analysis shows that in NSW, 40 per cent of all hepatitis C retreatments are delivered in prisons, and needle exchange programs are needed to prevent transmission and reinfection. Australia's response to viral hepatitis needs to adapt to the changing nature of the population. While people who inject drugs must always be a priority in our work to eliminate viral hepatitis, a new focus is needed on the many people who might not realise they live with hepatitis C or were told in the past that there was nothing they could do about it. Community hepatitis organisations create stigma-free pathways for people to seek testing and treatment for hepatitis C. When we look at the demographics of this "missing group" of about 59,000 people, they are on average aged 40 to 65, are predominantly male and might have injected drugs, even just once, in their youth or had a tattoo overseas. Hepatitis C is a ticking time bomb that slowly damages and inflames the liver, leading to serious liver disease and, potentially, cancer if left untreated. Most people have no symptoms of hepatitis C for many years until their liver is seriously affected. No one should die from a curable disease because of stigma, silence or a missed opportunity. Australia has what it takes to eliminate hepatitis C. We must act with urgency and compassion to make sure no one is left behind. Every so often, a medical breakthrough reshapes the health landscape and offers new hope. The cure for hepatitis C is one such medical breakthrough - as significant as the discovery of penicillin. It has saved millions around the world from developing severe liver disease and liver cancer by curing their hepatitis C. It is the first ever drug to cure a virus and completely cure a chronic disease, and has been declared an "essential medicine" by the World Health Organisation. It forms the backbone of treatments offered to people living with hepatitis C in Australia today - a painless cure of one tablet per day for up to 12 weeks. It's a simple molecule that blocks the virus from replicating and is very effective, has minimal side effects, and is vastly superior to previous treatments like interferon. Since it became available under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme in 2016, 62.9 per cent of all people living in Australia with hepatitis C have received the cure. Yet despite this, about 70,000 Australians still live with hepatitis C. Why, in a country with universal health care and a commitment to disease elimination, are so many people still being left behind? New analysis done by Hepatitis Australia shows that 84 per cent of people now living with hepatitis C no longer inject drugs or contracted the virus in other ways: through blood transfusions before blood screening was introduced in 1990; unsafe tattooing; or medical and dental procedures overseas in countries with less rigorous infection control. In Australia, hepatitis C has primarily been associated with injecting drug use. Significant progress has been made in working with people who inject drugs through community-led outreach, peer programs, and harm reduction services like needle and syringe exchanges. With almost 30 per cent of the prison population injecting while they are incarcerated, prisons are the primary sites of transmission for hepatitis C. Our analysis shows that in NSW, 40 per cent of all hepatitis C retreatments are delivered in prisons, and needle exchange programs are needed to prevent transmission and reinfection. Australia's response to viral hepatitis needs to adapt to the changing nature of the population. While people who inject drugs must always be a priority in our work to eliminate viral hepatitis, a new focus is needed on the many people who might not realise they live with hepatitis C or were told in the past that there was nothing they could do about it. Community hepatitis organisations create stigma-free pathways for people to seek testing and treatment for hepatitis C. When we look at the demographics of this "missing group" of about 59,000 people, they are on average aged 40 to 65, are predominantly male and might have injected drugs, even just once, in their youth or had a tattoo overseas. Hepatitis C is a ticking time bomb that slowly damages and inflames the liver, leading to serious liver disease and, potentially, cancer if left untreated. Most people have no symptoms of hepatitis C for many years until their liver is seriously affected. No one should die from a curable disease because of stigma, silence or a missed opportunity. Australia has what it takes to eliminate hepatitis C. We must act with urgency and compassion to make sure no one is left behind. Every so often, a medical breakthrough reshapes the health landscape and offers new hope. The cure for hepatitis C is one such medical breakthrough - as significant as the discovery of penicillin. It has saved millions around the world from developing severe liver disease and liver cancer by curing their hepatitis C. It is the first ever drug to cure a virus and completely cure a chronic disease, and has been declared an "essential medicine" by the World Health Organisation. It forms the backbone of treatments offered to people living with hepatitis C in Australia today - a painless cure of one tablet per day for up to 12 weeks. It's a simple molecule that blocks the virus from replicating and is very effective, has minimal side effects, and is vastly superior to previous treatments like interferon. Since it became available under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme in 2016, 62.9 per cent of all people living in Australia with hepatitis C have received the cure. Yet despite this, about 70,000 Australians still live with hepatitis C. Why, in a country with universal health care and a commitment to disease elimination, are so many people still being left behind? New analysis done by Hepatitis Australia shows that 84 per cent of people now living with hepatitis C no longer inject drugs or contracted the virus in other ways: through blood transfusions before blood screening was introduced in 1990; unsafe tattooing; or medical and dental procedures overseas in countries with less rigorous infection control. In Australia, hepatitis C has primarily been associated with injecting drug use. Significant progress has been made in working with people who inject drugs through community-led outreach, peer programs, and harm reduction services like needle and syringe exchanges. With almost 30 per cent of the prison population injecting while they are incarcerated, prisons are the primary sites of transmission for hepatitis C. Our analysis shows that in NSW, 40 per cent of all hepatitis C retreatments are delivered in prisons, and needle exchange programs are needed to prevent transmission and reinfection. Australia's response to viral hepatitis needs to adapt to the changing nature of the population. While people who inject drugs must always be a priority in our work to eliminate viral hepatitis, a new focus is needed on the many people who might not realise they live with hepatitis C or were told in the past that there was nothing they could do about it. Community hepatitis organisations create stigma-free pathways for people to seek testing and treatment for hepatitis C. When we look at the demographics of this "missing group" of about 59,000 people, they are on average aged 40 to 65, are predominantly male and might have injected drugs, even just once, in their youth or had a tattoo overseas. Hepatitis C is a ticking time bomb that slowly damages and inflames the liver, leading to serious liver disease and, potentially, cancer if left untreated. Most people have no symptoms of hepatitis C for many years until their liver is seriously affected. No one should die from a curable disease because of stigma, silence or a missed opportunity. Australia has what it takes to eliminate hepatitis C. We must act with urgency and compassion to make sure no one is left behind.
