Stephen Lawrence MLC has today an­nounced that the NSW Government is im­proving access to healthcare for people living in rural and regional communities, pro­viding financial assistance to over 81,000 patients from Local Health Districts cover­ing inland NSW in the past year through the Isolated Patients Travel and Accommoda­tion Assistance Scheme (IPTAAS).

IPTAAS provides financial assistance to patients who need to travel long distances for specialist healthcare that is not available locally. NSW patients have also received more money back in their pockets thanks to increased subsidies, with the average reim­bursement per patient to be $482.

The NSW Government is embracing a comprehensive range of measures to im­prove access to care in our regional, rural and remote communities, including: deliv­ering more health worker accommodation in the bush, doubling rural health worker incentives for the most critical and hard to fill positions to improve recruitment and re­tention, boosting doctors in our regional GP surgeries as well as hospitals through the single employer model, and deploying an extra 500 regional paramedics.

People prone to respiratory conditions like asthma or hayfever are being urged to take extra care ahead of predicted thunderstorm activity across Western NSW Local Health District (WNSWLHD).

Each year from around mid-October to mid-November, asthma and hayfever suf­ferers may be at greater risk of severe symptoms due to high pollen counts, and weather conditions like those are predicted across the region in coming weeks.

Western NSW Local Health District Pub­lic Health Physician, Dr Victor Carey, is urging people with asthma or breathing problems, and those impacted by hayfever in spring, to take extra precautions when thunderstorms are expected.

“People should be alert, not alarmed. It is incredibly important for people to be aware they could be at risk. Airborne pollens are at their highest levels at this time of year,” Dr Carey said.

“Thunderstorms can cause pollen grains to explode and release fine particles which can be inhaled more deeply into the lungs.

Even people who don’t have asthma should take extra precautions during thunderstorm season.

“Anyone with diagnosed asthma should be proactively managing their symptoms.

Carry your asthma medication with you at all times during high-risk periods and make sure your family, school and workplace has a copy of your asthma management plan.

Breathing difficulties can be life threaten­ing. In the event of a breathing emergency dial Triple Zero (000) immediately.

More information can be found on the NSW Health website: https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/environment/factsheets/Pages/thunderstorm-asthma.aspx