Victorian MP introduces motion to recognise complementary therapies in healthcare

Last October I called on this chamber to recognise the increasing financial burden on the Victorian health system from preventable illnesses and the COVID-19 pandemic and for the creation of a task force. Today I put another motion to you on complementary therapies. Complementary therapies refer to a wider range outside of Australia’s predominant medical model, and they are often used alongside conventional medicines or treatments. They can be called complementary medicines, alternative therapies, alternative medicines, holistic therapies and traditional medicines. These therapies are widely used by Victorians.

Two out of every three Australians use them, mostly to manage symptoms of chronic illness, for prevention of illness and to improve their health and wellbeing, so 25 of the sitting members of this chamber may have used complementary therapies. You may have meditated or used a naturopath, a chiropractor, a myotherapist or even an acupuncturist. According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, chronic illnesses are becoming increasingly common and are a priority for action in the health sector. Our overall life expectancy has increased, but unfortunately 50 per cent of us suffer at least one of the eight major chronic conditions, being arthritis, asthma, back pain, cancer, cardiovascular disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, diabetes and mental health conditions.

By the age of 65, 60 per cent have at least two chronic illnesses. Now, chronic illness costs the Australian health system more than $320 million each year in avoidable hospital admissions, according to the Grattan Institute report. What is most important to note is that almost all of these conditions are preventable, and according to this data we will be living longer but with potentially poorer quality of life. The growing number of chronic illnesses and the associated pressure that they place on health spending is by far exceeding the capacity to meet the needs of those suffering.

The complementary therapies industry is worth $9 billion a year and supports domestic jobs, farming, manufacturing, research and exports. The combined complementary therapies workforce is over 27 000 people and growing. It is outstripping the economy in terms of growth, so it is concerning it is largely ignored by our healthcare policy and our healthcare system as a whole. The Victorian Public Health and Wellbeing Plan 2019–2023, Victoria’s International Health Strategy 2016–2020 and Victoria’s health and medical research strategy 2016–20, our current key health policies, do not address complementary therapies at this time.

When looking at the suitability of integrating complementary therapies, we must also acknowledge that Australia is highly culturally and linguistically diverse. We cannot ignore that the data indicates that these communities are also more likely to experience poorer health than other Australians. The life expectancy of Victorians is almost two years above the national Australian average, but there is a huge gap between the life expectancy of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and non-Indigenous populations—on average eight years. The gap is unacceptable. For Indigenous and culturally and linguistically diverse communities there is often a sense that conventional healthcare providers do not recognise or understand their cultural needs or approve of some of their culturally appropriate treatments and medicines. I appreciate the government’s effort to increase the number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health workers in Victoria. Our state has had the largest increase, nearly doubling between 2006 and 2011. The importance of the health of our First Nations people should not be lip-service. Sixty-five thousand years of wisdom must not be lost. To effectively address health