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30 ParaQuad News • Issue 1 Autumn 2016
The National Home Doctor Service
provides access to after hours
primary medical care during the
Commonwealth defined after hours
period:
• 6pm to 8am weekdays
• From noon Saturday
to 8am Monday
• Public holidays
No patient is refused access
to treatment on the basis of their
sex, age, religion, ethnicity, sexual
preference or medical condition.
Perhaps getting to the doctor
is difficult, or going to emergency
is not appropriate. These doctors
can come and provide you with
a consultation in your home at
a time when you can utilise your
Personal Care Attendant to assist.
The doctors are able to make
assessments, provide scripts or
referrals… all from the comfort of
your home.
It’s as simple as a phone call...
and for the technology savvy, there
is an online booking service or even
an APP!
Graham Innes has joined calls for
the Federal Government to appoint a
person with a disability to his former
— now unfunded — role of Disability
Discrimination Commissioner.
Since 2014 Australia has been
without a full-time Disability
Commissioner with Age
Discrimination Commissioner Susan
Ryan given the disability portfolio,
on top of her existing duties, when
Graeme Innes’ term ended and
was not replaced by the Abbott
government.
Mr Innes and disability advocates
suggest that Tim Wilson’s resignation
as Human Rights or ‘Freedom’
Commissioner, to seek Liberal
preselection for the safe federal seat
of Goldstein, in Victoria, provides the
opportunity for a full-time disability
commissioner to be reinstated.
In an opinion piece on ABC’s The
Drum Mr Innes made the case for a
full-time disability commissioner. He
listed the experience of Australians
with a disability living in or near
poverty and the likelihood of them
being without work or suitable
accommodation at some point as
some of the reasons for it.
“The National Disability Insurance
Scheme will address many of these
issues, but it requires a powerful
independent voice to help guide it
through to completion. There has
never been a greater need for this
role.
“I know this, because much
of my time since I finished at the
Commission has been performing
duties of this role on a de facto basis.”
People with a Disability Australia
President Craig Wallace described the
current situation as ‘nonsensical’ and
said the appointment should be made
‘on workload alone’.
In a joint statement with Jenny
Macklin, Labor’s Shadow Attorney
General Mark Dreyfus also called on
the Federal Government to re-appoint
a full-time Commissioner.
“The government should finally
right this wrong and give people
with disability the strong voice they
once had at the Human Rights
Commission.”
At the time of publication, no
announcement had been made by
the Federal Government in relation
to reinstating a Disability
Discrimination Commissioner.
Fresh calls for Disability
Commissioner to be appointed
Did you know you can get
a doctor to come to your
house… and it’s bulk billed!?
For further information