❓ Ms Duncan asks the Minister for Health to update the house on the purpose of their visit to the Telethon Speech and Hearing centre, which was the launch of the new Pilbara ear health model of care aimed at improving prevention and treatment of ear illnesses in the Pilbara region, particularly for Aboriginal communities.
AnsweredQoN 712Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
PILBARA EAR HEALTH MODEL OF CARE
712. Ms W.M. DUNCAN to the Minister for
Health:
The minister and I visited the
Telethon Speech and Hearing centre this morning. Can he please update the house
—
Several members interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Leader of the Opposition, I call you to order for the first time.
Premier, I do not want to hear anything more.
Ms
W.M. DUNCAN : The minister and I visited the Telethon Speech and Hearing
centre this morning. Can he please update the house about the purpose of our
visit?
712. Ms W.M. DUNCAN to the Minister for
Health:
The minister and I visited the
Telethon Speech and Hearing centre this morning. Can he please update the house
—
Several members interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Leader of the Opposition, I call you to order for the first time.
Premier, I do not want to hear anything more.
Ms
W.M. DUNCAN : The minister and I visited the Telethon Speech and Hearing
centre this morning. Can he please update the house about the purpose of our
visit?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for Kalgoorlie
for the question. Indeed, she and I, and the member for Kwinana, were present
at the Telethon Speech and Hearing centre this morning for the launch of the
new Pilbara ear health model of care. This model of care, which is provided for
in a very substantial document, has been the result of collaboration between
the state government and the Telethon Speech and Hearing centre, and also with
substantial support from Chevron and a whole range of other appropriate state
government and other agencies, including the WA Country Health Service, of
course, the Department of Education and others. The purpose is to try to ensure—I
am sure it will be effective—that there is a better delivery of
prevention and treatment for people with ear illnesses and hearing problems in
the Pilbara region in particular. It is an area of the state where there is a relatively
high incidence of middle ear infections, otitis media, in particular in
disadvantaged communities and therefore including in particular Aboriginal
communities in the Pilbara region. As I think most members would be aware, if
there is an ongoing infection that leads to permanent hearing loss or
impairment, it clearly makes it much more difficult for a child to develop
speech and language skills and communication skills to be able to be a part of
a community in which they are adequately socialised and participating. If they
are not able to communicate as effectively, they can become disengaged.
Unfortunately, as I am advised, there is a higher incidence in the criminal
justice system of people with hearing loss, and that is reflective of the fact
that they are less engaged in the community and less able to communicate and
they tend to become for whatever reason on the wrong track.
This new model of care will ensure
that there is collaboration and coordination and a lack of duplication of
services in providing for preventative activities and also for intervention,
where appropriate, in children and right through to older-aged people in the
Pilbara region. I congratulate everybody who has played a role in putting it
into effect. It has involved quite a lot of effort, over time, in bringing
people together who have been, to some extent, having different focuses of
attention and so on, so getting that collaboration and coordination has been
very important. I am sure that this new Pilbara ear health model of care will
be effective in reducing the incidence of hearing problems in the Pilbara region.
for the question. Indeed, she and I, and the member for Kwinana, were present
at the Telethon Speech and Hearing centre this morning for the launch of the
new Pilbara ear health model of care. This model of care, which is provided for
in a very substantial document, has been the result of collaboration between
the state government and the Telethon Speech and Hearing centre, and also with
substantial support from Chevron and a whole range of other appropriate state
government and other agencies, including the WA Country Health Service, of
course, the Department of Education and others. The purpose is to try to ensure—I
am sure it will be effective—that there is a better delivery of
prevention and treatment for people with ear illnesses and hearing problems in
the Pilbara region in particular. It is an area of the state where there is a relatively
high incidence of middle ear infections, otitis media, in particular in
disadvantaged communities and therefore including in particular Aboriginal
communities in the Pilbara region. As I think most members would be aware, if
there is an ongoing infection that leads to permanent hearing loss or
impairment, it clearly makes it much more difficult for a child to develop
speech and language skills and communication skills to be able to be a part of
a community in which they are adequately socialised and participating. If they
are not able to communicate as effectively, they can become disengaged.
Unfortunately, as I am advised, there is a higher incidence in the criminal
justice system of people with hearing loss, and that is reflective of the fact
that they are less engaged in the community and less able to communicate and
they tend to become for whatever reason on the wrong track.
This new model of care will ensure
that there is collaboration and coordination and a lack of duplication of
services in providing for preventative activities and also for intervention,
where appropriate, in children and right through to older-aged people in the
Pilbara region. I congratulate everybody who has played a role in putting it
into effect. It has involved quite a lot of effort, over time, in bringing
people together who have been, to some extent, having different focuses of
attention and so on, so getting that collaboration and coordination has been
very important. I am sure that this new Pilbara ear health model of care will
be effective in reducing the incidence of hearing problems in the Pilbara region.
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