ATTITUDES TOWARDS LIVER-TRANSPLANTATION IN VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA

Liver transplantation commenced on a regular basis in Australia in 198 5. This followed the first successful orthotopic transplant in Brisban e in 1985 and the setting up of a National Centre for Liver Transplant ation in Sydney in 1985 with clinical transplantation beginning there in 1986. A centre was subsequently developed in Melbourne in 1988. As this procedure was perceived to be expensive, and because of discussio n on rationing of medical services, the authors were prompted to test the Victorian community awareness and attitude to government funding o f transplantation. One year after the establishment of the Victorian L iver Transplantation Programme, a random survey of the Victorian popul ation and of general practitioners in Melbourne was conducted with the assistance of a professional polling company. Sixty-five per cent of the Victorian population knew liver transplantation was available in V ictoria, 12% said it was not available and 23% did not know. Among gen eral practitioners, 79% knew liver transplantation was available 14% s aid it was not available and 7% did not know. Eighty-eight per cent of Victorians and a similar proportion of general practitioners said the State Government should provide funding. Forty-seven per cent of the Victorian population said government should provide total funding and a further 39% funding of more than 50%. Among general practitioners, 3 3% said total funding should be provided and a further 46% thought tha t more than 50% of funding should be provided. This survey has reveale d convincingly that Victorians have decided that their health care sho uld include the expense of liver transplantation paid for by governmen t. Awareness of the availability of the operation of liver transplanta tion is developing rapidly.