Write to the SA Minister for Health
Thank you for volunteering to take an extra step by also writing to the South Australian Minister for Health Chris Picton.
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Below we have an example message that you could send to the South Australian Minister for Health. It is similar to the previous letter, but has been modified to be specific to the SA Health system.
Again we recommend that you copy this into your own email. Make any changes that you like, such as adding your own story if you or someone you know has suffered from a fracture.
We have included the Minister's email address and a possible subject line to help you get started. Click on the mail icon to begin.
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To: ministerforhealth@sa.gov.au
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Subject line: Make the first fracture the last!
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Message:
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Dear Minister Picton,
Every three minutes, an Australian suffers an osteoporotic fracture that they did not have to have. Worse, 60 to 70% of these people do not get the care they need to prevent another fracture! In 2021, nearly 15,000 older South Australians suffered an osteoporotic (fragility) fracture, which cost the SA health system nearly $200 million.
About half of all people who suffer a hip fracture have already had another fragility fracture at another site, like the wrist. These previous fractures are warning signs but they usually get ignored. Is this standard of care you would accept for your parents? When people have the first signs of heart disease, we treat them so they don’t have a heart attack. Why don’t we do the same for their bones?
I urge you to take action to address this almost complete lack of care for people who have suffered a fracture due to osteoporosis. We urgently need formal National Standards of Care for preventing secondary fractures! We need a nationwide Fragility Fracture Registry to ensure all healthcare facilities across SA provide top class healthcare.
Osteoporosis can be treated successfully and affordably. In a world class health care system osteoporotic fractures should be identified early, triggering preventative treatment to stop further fractures. Many later fractures can be prevented this way, saving lives and avoiding excessive healthcare costs.
I urge you to raise this matter in Parliament and with SA Health. Ask what is being done to help to improve osteoporotic fracture prevention in South Australia.
Please let me know what you intend to do to address this shameful lack of treatment of older people and ensure all South Australians get a chance to avoid devastating fractures. I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Kind regards,
[your name]
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