With the introduction of the NDIS, there has been some positive change to those who live with a disability, however, the NDIS system has left a major gap in support and education from a health and medical perspective. It is no secret that when health and medical professionals, in a hospital setting, come across a patient who has a disability and is on the NDIS, they are often left with little to no support.

People with disabilities slip through the health and medical system due to the assumption and lack of education around the functionality of the NDIS and around disabilities. Imagine being told that because you have an intellectual disability that it means you can’t have mental health issues as well and therefore will not be supported by the healthcare system for mental health related concerns. Imagine being admitted into hospital for an unexpected reason and once being allowed to go home it is expected that because you are on NDIS you will have the required supports automatically to support you when you are out of hospital. The harsh reality is clients who have NDIS supports will not have additional funds or any funds for any unexpected support for the duration of a hospital stay and once discharged from the hospital.

We, disability service provider Family Inclusive, and disability advocates, are demanding that there needs to be a more cohesive and transparent relationship between the NDIS and the healthcare system. This could look like a NDIS consultancy team that is based at every hospital that can be referred to should a patient be a NDIS client that will need additional support. This team would act similarly to social workers but specifically for NDIS related circumstances and would support the patient in ensuring they have the appropriate support network post-hospital – this could look like helping the patient file for a change in circumstances, communicating with the appropriate doctors and physicians and with the patient’s service providers that are imperative to their day-to-day living.

We call on our Federal Government – specifically, the Minister for Health, Mark Bulter MP, the Minister for Social Services, Amanda Rishworth MP and the Minister for NDIS, Bill Shorten MP to hear us and change how the systems interact with each other, collectively not divisively. We need a healthcare system that supports people with a disability and that does not assume for them.

Please sign this petition if you want to see our healthcare system change for those living with a disability!