Budget decision a blow for over 440,000 Australian survivors of stroke, their families and carers

Stroke Foundation is calling on the Australian Government to urgently reverse its decision to not extend funding in this year’s Federal Budget for vital stroke awareness, secondary prevention and recovery support programs, which benefit thousands of Australians of all ages impacted by stroke every year.

Now that the election has been called, we are calling for all parties to commit to funding these critical programs and increase investment in chronic disease prevention if elected.

Stroke Foundation applauds the announced new Budget initiatives targeted to improve overall health system, aged care and cost-of-living pressures (including significant investment to strengthen Medicare; Bulk Billing incentives; additional investment for Australian public hospitals; fifty new Urgent Care Clinics; reducing the cost of medicines under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme; and a landmark women’s health package. However, as the only national charity dedicated to stroke, Stroke Foundation is disappointed not to see urgently needed funding for one of Australia’s top five causes of death and disability included in the Budget.

We note reference to potential future prevention and chronic disease funding in Budget Paper No.1 but have no confirmation of the process and timeline for accessing funding. This will greatly impact our programs and ability to deliver vital services.

Over 45,000 Australians of all ages experienced a stroke in 2023 (one stroke every 11 minutes), and there are now over 440,000 survivors of stroke living around Australia. Stroke is estimated to impact the Australian economy in excess of $9 billion dollars a year (accounting for health system costs, lost productivity, unpaid care costs, and National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) costs).

Stroke Foundation is currently delivering the F.A.S.T. (Face, Arms, Speech, Time) Community Education and Stroke Awareness Program; and the Living Well After Stroke secondary prevention program aimed at supporting Australian survivors of stroke to make changes to their health behaviours and improve secondary stroke prevention. Without additional support from the Australian Government support, Stroke Foundation will be unable to extend these programs beyond December 2025.

Stroke Foundation Chief Executive Officer, Dr Lisa Murphy, says she was disappointed to see funding would not be continuing for the F.A.S.T. (Face, Arms, Speech, Time) Community Education and Living Well After Stroke programs.

“Given the huge impact stroke has on the lives of tens of thousands of Australians every year, we are extremely disappointed there has been no investment in stroke prevention, treatment and recovery in this year’s Federal Budget. Stroke is a medical emergency, but alarmingly 1 in 3 Australians cannot recognise a single common sign of stroke, thus delaying calling 000 to receive urgent treatment, and reducing their chance of survival or recovery.”

Stroke Foundation currently funds most  of its critical programs via donations, however, as cost-of-living pressures increase, demand for services has risen, and the health system fails to meet stroke community needs. More Australian Government funding is urgently needed to meet this demand.

Ahead of this year’s Federal Budget, Stroke Foundation submitted a proposal with three key requests:  

1. F.A.S.T. National Advertising Campaign to ensure more Australians know how to reduce their stroke risk, recognise the signs of stroke and how vital it is to call triple zero (000) immediately.

2. Living Guidelines for Stroke Management to ensure Australian health professionals, including those involved in the diagnosis and acute management of childhood stroke, have access to reliable, accessible, and up-to-date clinical recommendations.
   
   
3. Enhanced StrokeLine Service (including Living Well After Stroke program) to ensure more Australians who are impacted by stroke (including their families and carers) are able to access critical information and support to better navigate their recovery.

Dr Murphy believes the Australian Government has no time to waste when it comes to stroke!

“We are deeply concerned about the Australian Government’s decision not to invest in improving stroke care for all Australians. We are calling for the Prime Minister and Health Minister to prioritise the long-term health of Australians by urgently funding our evidence-based and much needed programs.”

Stroke Foundation, and our community, will continue to vigorously advocate to the Australian Government for the urgently needed long-term investment in improving stroke community awareness, stroke prevention, stroke treatment and better recovery supports for all Australians impacted by stroke” Dr Murphy said.

For more information and to download our Budget 2025-26 Submission and Election Platform, go to www.strokefoundation.org.au.