RFDS report reveals heart disease hits western NSW hardest

The Best for the Bush in Focus: heart, stroke and vascular disease report compiled by the Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) shows that relative to all Australia, people living in the Bourke-Brewarrina/Walgett-Lightning Ridge region were 2.96 times more likely to die from heart, stroke and vascular disease.

This figure was the highest standardised death ratios for heart, stroke and vascular disease, for people aged 0 to 74 years in NSW.

Coming in third place was Moree where residents were 2.28 times more likely to die from cardiovascular disease; Wellington residents came in second where they are 2.44 times more likely, then Cobar/Coonamble/Nyngan-Warren in fourth place, where residents are 1.97 times more likely.

The report revealed the top pick-up and drop-off locations for heart-related RFDS aeromedical retrievals, with Dubbo Hospital among capital city hospitals.

In NSW, the Royal Prince Alfred hospital in Sydney and Dubbo Hospital were the top RFDS drop-off locations for ischaemic heart disease patients.

Dubbo Hospital was also the top location in NSW for cerebrovascular disease patient drop-offs.

The new report follows a baseline report released by the RFDS in February which showed cardiovascular conditions accounted for almost a quarter of all RFDS aeromedical retrievals.

RFDS federation executive director, Frank Quinlan, said the new 'Best for the Bush In Focus' report proved access to adequate primary health care was "poor" in many parts of rural and remote Australia.

"That report six months ago painted a pretty grim picture about basic access to primary health care services," he said.

"The findings of the latest report were also pretty stark in terms of the rates of hospitalisation and death, particularly around stroke.

"If 100 people have a stroke in a metropolitan centre, 77 of them get access to timely specialist care, but that number falls to three per cent in rural and remote parts of Australia."

The most common heart disease risk factors impacting rural and remote Australians include smoking, obesity, poor diet, alcohol and drug misuse, insufficient physical activity and high blood pressure.

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Mr Quinlan said all of these issues could be addressed through better access to primary health services.

"The biggest opportunity we have is around ensuring appropriate access to primary health care services, however that's delivered - it could be by an RFDS clinic, it could be by a local GP or an Aboriginal health service," Mr Quinlan said.

"If we could be tackling smoking and drinking, making sure people exercise - all of those things that GPs in metropolitan centres remind us of - we'd be avoiding a lot of this illness.

"We also need to ensure people have good access to rehabilitation and follow up services after issues have occurred."

Mr Quinlan said areas with large Indigenous populations - like western NSW - were disproportionately impacted by heart disease.

Indigenous heart patients were also 10 years younger on average compared to non-Indigenous ones.

"The persistent nature of the gaps in Indigenous health is a concern for all Australians," Mr Quinlan said.

"We also know there are some indirect determinants - ensuring there's appropriate access to affordable housing, ensuring people have good employment opportunities and educational opportunities.

"I'd make a pretty educated guess that there'd be a lot of those factors at play."

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