Source: The Melbourne Age [Letters to the Editor]

Injured deserve better
James Macready-Bryan's story (29/4) reveals yet again the dreadful inequity in our health and community care systems.
The events surrounding his injury are awful enough, but the fact that the cause of his injuries dictates the level of care he receives is indefensible. Had James been injured in a car or at work, the TAC or WorkCover would have covered his lifelong care and support. He did not choose either to be injured or the means by which it happened, and yet, unlike a person covered by these schemes, he is denied access to much-needed treatment and care. How can this be in our wealthy country?

Many of us pay dearly for a number of insurance policies yet we are at real risk of not being covered by either insurance or our health system if we sustain a catastrophic injury in the wrong circumstances. It is an economic and social imperative that the Victorian Government invest in a no-fault scheme for catastrophic injury as part of a national system.
Dr Bronwyn Morkham, National Director, Young People in Nursing Homes National Alliance