Arthritis NSW is calling for the State Government to significantly increase funding to the Sydney Children’s Hospital Network for timely treatment of children with juvenile arthritis and further education for GPs.
In 2013, the NSW Government commissioned and signed a report which came to the same conclusion, but little has changed in the five years since. In fact, NSW is behind both international guidelines and Australian benchmarks when it comes to diagnosis and care. The condition affects 3000 children in NSW – making it more common than childhood diabetes and just as common as cerebral palsy and cystic fibrosis. The average child with juvenile arthritis spends an average of 10 months struggling to get a diagnosis, seeing up to four or five different health professionals, showing that even health care practitioners don’t know that children get arthritis.
The pain and feeling of isolation that these kids endure may not be visible, but it’s time they were heard and the NSW government provided funding for the care and programs they need.
Thank you for signing the petition here: sign here
You can also effect change by:
– Write to NSW Health Minister: The Hon. Brad Hazzard, MP, GPO Box 5341, SYDNEY NSW 2001 or online here.
– Write to Shadow Health Minister: The Hon. Walt Secord, Parliament House, Macquarie Street, SYDNEY NSW 2000 or email: walt.secord@parliament.nsw.gov.au
– Write to your local MP
– Tag the MPs on Twitter @BradHazzard @WaltSecordMLC
Please help us make a difference to these 3000 deserving kids.