The Australian Government should bulk bill overnight sleep apnoea tests for truck drivers and other safety critical workers, ATA Chair Mark Parry and TruckSafe Chair Paul Fellows said today.
Mr Parry and Mr Fellows were releasing the joint Australian Trucking Association and TruckSafe submission to the National Transport Commission's review of health screening for commercial vehicle drivers.
The NTC is looking at expanding the commercial vehicle driver medical standards in Assessing Fitness to Drive to include better screening for heart disease, diabetes and sleep disorders.
"The ATA has argued for many years that the commercial standards should include preventative screening for the key health risks to road safety," Mr Parry said.
"Our submission argues that these low or no cost screening tests should be prescribed in the standards. A GP undertaking a commercial medical would work through the screening procedure and, if needed, refer the driver for specialist follow up," he said.
The submission argues that one of the priority health risks for truck drivers is obstructive sleep apnoea, a condition where a patient's upper airway is obstructed repeatedly while they sleep. Untreated sleep apnoea can cause drivers to fall asleep behind the wheel. A 2012 study showed that 41 per cent of Australian long distance truck drivers have sleep apnoea.
"The case for acting on sleep apnoea is compelling. Our submission documents its toll of deaths, serious injuries and ruined lives," Mr Parry said.
"One of the barriers to addressing sleep apnoea, however, is the cost of confirming the diagnosis after a driver's GP refers them to a specialist for investigation.
"An overnight sleep study at a clinic can cost $1,500, with the driver needing to find $997.60 in out of pocket costs after the Medicare rebate. The most effective treatment for sleep apnoea is with a CPAP machine. The machines cost about $2,000; follow up appointments are needed to calibrate them.
"The Government should offer incentives to encourage sleep clinics to bulk bill sleep studies for truck drivers and other safety critical workers. It should also fund a long term loan scheme for CPAP machines, similar to the one run by the New Zealand hospital system," he said.
TruckSafe Chair Paul Fellows said it was essential that the changes to the standards protected truck drivers' jobs.
"The screening tests that we are talking about highlight if further investigation is needed. They are not diagnostic," Mr Fellows said.
"That's why AFTD needs to be amended so a driver who is referred to a specialist as a result of health screening can continue to drive unconditionally, provided they make an appointment to see the relevant specialist at the earliest practicable opportunity."
