Every day, 280 Australians are diagnosed with diabetes, and their number is on top of the 1.8 million Australians who are already afflicted with it, according to Diabetes Australia.
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Every year, it costs the public health system $14.6 billion to ensure everyone is receiving proper treatment and care.
Across western NSW, six percent of residents are living with type 2 diabetes which can cause blindness, heart attacks and foot ulcers.
Those residents in western NSW living with the disease will become part of a collaborative care program by three health districts to begin this year funded with $13.7 million rolled out over three years, NSW minister for regional health Bronnie Taylor said.
Ms Taylor was in Dubbo recently to announce an expansion of the travel and accommodation subsidy for rural and remote town residents in NSW funded with $149.5 million from the state government budget for 2022-2023.
According to the National Diabetes Service Scheme and Health Stats NSW a staggering 40 percent of those afflicted with diabetes will die from it if they lack health care.
Ms Taylor said this was the reason they are bringing together Western NSW, Far Western NSW, Western Primary Health Network and the NSW Rural Doctors Network in a "historic partnership to identify and support local people with type 2 diabetes".
"The partnership will work to increase testing, deliver interventions earlier and build the capacity of the combined healthcare workforce to reduce the pressure on acute services by keeping more people as healthy as possible," Ms Taylor said.
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The funding will come from the NSW Government's Collaborative Commissioning program which is mainly targeted at residents in western NSW.
Dubbo MP and minister for western NSW Dugald Saunders said the funding for the program "will be greatly appreciated by locals [because] diabetes is an illness of major concern."
"This program will not only increase the likelihood of survival for people in our region, but it will also be a wonderful addition to the health care options in most remote parts of the state."
Collaborations among health services in the region can only mean "improved and tangible outcomes for patients" and will "shape how we combat a chronic disease", Western NSW Local Health District chief executive officer Mark Spittal said.
Expressions of interest are being sought from the region's healthcare providers to get involved in the Living Better and Stronger Diabetes Program.
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Elizabeth Frias
I began my news reporting days in western and inner west Sydney before joining the Daily Liberal's Dubbo NSW newsroom. Telling all sorts of stories about people, places and events is my daily preoccupation so email me at elizabeth.frias@austcommunitymedia.com.au and I'll be in touch!
I began my news reporting days in western and inner west Sydney before joining the Daily Liberal's Dubbo NSW newsroom. Telling all sorts of stories about people, places and events is my daily preoccupation so email me at elizabeth.frias@austcommunitymedia.com.au and I'll be in touch!
