Case 70: Woman to receive urgent medical treatment

Photo by sasirin pamai on iStock

A woman was denied immediate medical assistance to treat contractures in her hand due to her being over 50 years of age. These contractures caused her pain and suffering and, over time, the deterioration of her hand. The woman had been waiting three years for treatment and the failure to access treatment in the near future could have led to the need to amputate her hand. Her advocate used the Charter to argue for her access to treatment and she received funding in order to arrange for immediate treatment.

Source: Public Interest Advocacy Centre, Submission to the Review of the Victorian Charter, 2011