Should GPs charge for bandages or dressings?

Last Updated: 12-02-2021

Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt recently ruled out GP patients having to pay for bandages and dressings, despite a major Medicare review recommending it. We won’t be putting in place extra charges for patients. I am ruling that o Read More...

What's the difference between mutations, variants and strains? A guide to COVID terminology

Last Updated: 12-02-2021

Living through a global pandemic over the past year has seen all of us expanding our vocabularies. We now understand terms like PPE, social distancing and contact tracing.[subscribe]   But just when perhaps we thought we had a hand Read More...

Older Australians get access to pandemic advice with launch of multilingual support line

Date of Posting: 11-02-2021

Older Australians from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds are set to receive tailored access to important COVID-19 health advice and aged care information as the Centre for Cultural Diversity in Ageing launches the new multiling Read More...

Stillbirth Foundation funds major research projects

Date of Posting: 10-02-2021

A round of funding granted by the Stillbirth Foundation Australia will enable two ground-breaking research projects, aimed at ending preventable stillbirths, to commence. The first grant will support a world-first study into the endometrial enviro Read More...

Parents urged to increase children's activity levels to protect their mental health

Last Updated: 10-02-2021

The events of 2020 have significantly impacted the mental health of young Australians, prompting a reminder from the Australian Physiotherapy Association (APA) that physical activity is a crucial part of the solution. Research suggests that childr Read More...

Planning on running a marathon? A sports dietitian's advice

Last Updated: 10-02-2021

Did you make a New Year’s resolution to run a marathon? Or perhaps you’ve conquered a marathon and want to take on an even longer event?   Your diet is crucial in long-distance running. If you don’t eat the right foods Read More...

Loss of muscle mass among elderly can lead to falls

Last Updated: 10-02-2021

Older adults are at much higher risk of death from COVID-19 than their younger counterparts, but many also face another, less recognized health risk associated with the pandemic: loss of muscle mass. This loss is one of the primary reasons fo Read More...

Physio Inq's plans to tackle burnout within the health care workforce

Date of Posting: 10-02-2021

Physio Inq, an award-winning Australian allied health provider has announced plans to tackle therapist burnout and accelerate their national expansion by appointing Doug Devellerez to People Development and Experience Manager. Devellerez began his Read More...

Scientists use 3D printer to print 'bone' with living cells

Date of Posting: 09-02-2021

3D printers may one day become a permanent fixture of the operating theatre after UNSW scientists showed they could print bone-like structures containing living cells. Scientists from UNSW Sydney have developed a ceramic-based ink that may allow s Read More...

South Africa halts AstraZeneca jabs

Date of Posting: 08-02-2021

JOHANNESBURG, RAW - South Africa will suspend use of AstraZeneca's COVID-19 shot after data showing it gives minimal protection against mild to moderate infection caused by the country's dominant coronavirus variant.     Hea Read More...

UK vaccinates 12 million against virus

Date of Posting: 08-02-2021

LONDON, DPA - More than 12 million people in Britain have been vaccinated against COVID-19, latest figures show.     The government is aiming to offer a vaccine to all 15 million of the country's most vulnerable by mid-February, Read More...

Three quarters of healthy older Australians use complementary medicines

Date of Posting: 07-02-2021

A new study has revealed that 75% of healthy Australians aged over 70 years report using complementary medicines either daily or occasionally – sparking concerns over the marketing and promotion of these medicines, and renewed calls for tighter Read More...

Positive Mood Program for pandemic-related distress

Date of Posting: 06-02-2021

The Black Dog Institute is seeking 250 participants to trial an online Positive Mood Program to reduce pandemic-related distress. The program, funded by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) and backed by the World Health Organi Read More...

Doctors must now prescribe drugs using their chemical name, not brand names

Date of Posting: 05-02-2021

From February 1, when you receive a prescription in Australia, it will list the name of the medication’s active ingredient rather than the brand name. So, for example, instead of receiving a prescription for Ventolin, your script will s Read More...

Quality of care - not setting - key to wound healing

Date of Posting: 05-02-2021

People receiving evidence-based wound care at home for venous leg ulcers achieved similar healing rates to those attending a specialist wound care clinic, new research shows. Bolton Clarke Senior Research Fellow Rajna Ogrin said while community ho Read More...

Eating disorders result in significant financial impact on carers

Date of Posting: 05-02-2021

Anorexia Nervosa has not only a detrimental impact on the people who suffer from the eating disorder, but often a significant financial impact on their carers, new research from the University of Otago, Christchurch, reveals. As part of the Christ Read More...

After a hailstorm there's always a rainbow: A story of winning against all odds

Last Updated: 03-02-2021

At 25 years of age, most young men are settling into their studies or their careers with sights set on a bright future. For Dylan Theuerkauf, this is no different. What lies in Dylan’s past however is an incredible story of overcoming life c Read More...

We analysed almost 500,000 police reports of domestic violence

Last Updated: 02-02-2021

Rare access to almost half a million police reports of domestic violence has revealed a hidden picture of mental health issues in perpetrators and victims. This is academics’ first attempt in the world to use computers to mine the text Read More...

New heart condition drug listed on PBS

AAP | Date of Posting: 01-02-2021

The federal government is subsidising a new drug for Australians suffering with a rare, fatal heart condition through Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS).     From February 1, Uptravi (selexipag) will be PBS listed for the first ti Read More...

Portugal struggles, China infections spike

Last Updated: 01-02-2021

Austria and Germany have stepped in to help Portugal with its coronavirus crisis, while infections in China have spiked to their highest level since last March.     Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz on Sunday said that the Alpine n Read More...

ICU Nurse's experience working during the COVID-19 pandemic

Last Updated: 01-02-2021

My name is Bronwyn Picton, otherwise known as Bron. I have been working with the Rural Locum Assistance Program (Rural LAP) as an ICU Nurse now for almost 10 years. My story today is about my experience working during COVID-19, the dilemmas of cro Read More...

Productivity Commission health report leaves some big questions unanswered

Date of Posting: 01-02-2021

The Productivity Commission released the health section of its annual Report on Government Services, bringing together a range of data on hospitals, primary care, ambulance services and mental health care in Australia.   Comprising more Read More...

78% of Australian healthcare workers received new technology during COVID-19 to combat high demand

Date of Posting: 01-02-2021

The immense impact of COVID-19 on the healthcare sector has led to over 78% of Australian healthcare workers being issued with new technologies, including mobile devices, to support their duties during the pandemic. Highlighting the value of these Read More...

Global demand for cancer surgery set to surge

Date of Posting: 01-02-2021

A new modelling study led by UNSW predicts demand for cancer surgery will rise by 52 per cent within two decades, with low-income countries bearing the greatest burden. Public health researchers, led by UNSW Sydney, have estimated the number of ca Read More...

Antidepressants for chronic back pain could do more harm than good: study

Date of Posting: 31-01-2021

Antidepressants are commonly prescribed to treat pain, but new Australian research has revealed they offer little to no help for people suffering from chronic back pain and osteoarthritis – and may even be causing them harm “The use of Read More...

Victoria allows quarantine-free travel from NSW

Last Updated: 29-01-2021

Victoria will ease its travel restrictions with NSW from 6pm on Friday, eliminating "red zones" and allowing quarantine-free travel from all areas of NSW. Victoria is allowing quarantine-free travel from all areas of NSW, with the elimin Read More...

Queensland reopens border and calls for JobKeeper extension

Last Updated: 28-01-2021

Queensland will reopen its border to Greater Sydney, but the state government wants JobKeeper extended for the struggling tourism sector. Queensland's premier is calling for JobKeeper to be extended for tourism operators as the state prepares Read More...

The Australian government lengthens New Zealand travel ban

Last Updated: 28-01-2021

Quarantine-free trans-Tasman travel to Australia will be on hold for another 72 hours. Australia won't allow quarantine-free travel from New Zealand for at least another three days after two more community cases of COVID-19 were discovered acr Read More...

Researchers found out immune cell decay curbs antiviral response

Date of Posting: 27-01-2021

Australian researchers believe a decay in specific immune cells found in the lung could partly explain why older people struggle to overcome viruses. Older people's struggle to fight off respiratory infections could be linked to the decay of s Read More...

The Northern Territory alcohol abuse hospital admissions fall

Last Updated: 27-01-2021

Alcohol-related intensive care admissions in Alice Springs have plunged by 38 per cent following the introduction of harm minimisation policies in 2018. The number of patients admitted to Central Australian intensive care units due to alcohol abus Read More...

Oxfam says COVID-19 set to increase global inequality

Date of Posting: 25-01-2021

An Oxfam report says Australia's 31 billionaires have boosted their wealth by $85 billion during the pandemic, with COVID-19 set to increase global inequality. Coronavirus will increase global inequality according to an Oxfam report which foun Read More...

Study shows that smoking kills many Indigenous

Date of Posting: 25-01-2021

Smoking has killed at least 10,000 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians in the last decade, an Australian National University study shows. One in two Indigenous Australians over the age of 45 are dying due to smoking, a new study show Read More...

Australia is still on track to receive the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine from February

Date of Posting: 25-01-2021

High immunisation rates of children suggest Australians more broadly will be keen to take their COVID-19 jab when it becomes available. Treasurer Josh Frydenberg insists Australia is still on track to receive the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine from Febru Read More...

People with autism over 3 times more likely to attempt suicide

Date of Posting: 25-01-2021

A new study has found that people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are over three times more likely to attempt and to die by suicide than the rest of the population, as a leading expert calls for improved support for people with ASD in adulthood. Read More...

Victoria-Tasmania's new quarantine deal won't fix farmer's labour shortages

Last Updated: 22-01-2021

The Victorian Farmers Federation says a new deal between Victoria and Tasmania to quarantine farm workers will provide limited relief from labour shortages. Farmers say the Victorian government's new quarantine deal for harvest workers is a st Read More...

Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Prince Harry launches mental health tool

Last Updated: 22-01-2021

Prince Harry has joined Prime Minister Scott Morrison in urging frontline workers to look after their mental health following an incredibly difficult year. Australia's frontline workers have had an incredibly difficult year, battling the Black Read More...

Queensland Premier eases Brisbane virus restrictions

Last Updated: 21-01-2021

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk will ease coronavirus restrictions in Greater Brisbane, but the recent outbreak is likely to remain a mystery. Coronavirus restrictions such as the mandatory wearing of masks will be eased in Brisbane, but Read More...

Victoria will lift cap on overseas arrivals soon

Last Updated: 21-01-2021

Victoria will lift its cap on overseas arrivals in the coming weeks, as the state records its 15th consecutive day with no locally acquired coronavirus cases. Victoria will lift its cap on overseas arrivals in the coming weeks, though fewer intern Read More...

South Australia has moved to ease some local measures in time for Australia Day

Date of Posting: 21-01-2021

South Australian authorities are not ready to lift border restrictions with NSW but have moved to ease some local COVID-19 restrictions. South Australia will keep its COVID-19 border restrictions with NSW in place but has moved to ease some local Read More...

South Australia Commissioner warns against QR complacency

Last Updated: 20-01-2021

South Australia's police commissioner has urged all people to use QR codes when checking into businesses and other venues to aid the fight against COVID-19. South Australians have been urged not to skip checking in at businesses and other venu Read More...