Cheaper contraceptive offers more choice for women

Date of Posting: 28-10-2025

Australian women will have access to another affordable contraception option as a vaginal ring is added to the government's medication subsidy scheme for the first time. The NuvaRing is a prescription contraceptive method which is inserted int Read More...

Gender lens needed to examine weight management

Date of Posting: 28-10-2025

Women face unique challenges when it comes to managing weight, including fluctuating hormones at various life stages, something that has advocates calling for health professionals to abandon a one-size-fits-all approach. Obesity is widely misunder Read More...

Minister downplays risk of bird flu after seal deaths

Date of Posting: 27-10-2025

The federal government has downplayed any imminent risk of bird flu reaching Australia despite an unusual number of deaths in elephant seal pups on the sub-Antarctic territory of Heard Island. Agriculture Minister Julie Collins says samples taken Read More...

Not just another flu, COVID-19 complacency risks lives

Date of Posting: 27-10-2025

The days of lockdowns and social distancing may be long gone but COVID-19 is still wreaking havoc and is definitely not "just another flu". A worrying complacency has set in about the virus that is still claiming lives, according to form Read More...

Bird flu warning as strain suspected on remote island

Date of Posting: 27-10-2025

Greater surveillance and more boots on the ground are needed to prepare the nation for the threat of a deadly bird flu strain, an environmental group and researcher warn. Signs of H5 avian influenza have been observed for the first time on Austral Read More...

Failing the frontline: the Healthcare staff retention crisis

Last Updated: 27-10-2025

Written by Sylvia Vasas, Chief Marketing Officer at Humanforce Australia's Healthcare and Aged Care sectors are facing a workforce crisis that extends far beyond simple staffing shortages. Despite being identified by the National Skills Commis Read More...

Health giant under microscope for charity tax status

Date of Posting: 26-10-2025

A union boasting some 110,000 members urges the government to scrutinise possible exploitation of tax loopholes by a troubled private healthcare giant. The Health Services Union has written to Treasurer Jim Chalmers and Health Minister Mark Butler Read More...

Bird flu outbreak in Germany 'kills hundreds of cranes'

Date of Posting: 26-10-2025

More than 1000 cranes are thought to have died in a large outbreak of bird flu near Berlin, German conservationists recovering the animals' bodies say. A total of 839 dead cranes have been counted since Sunday in a pond area in Linum, about 30 Read More...

Sick kids recover safely at home through virtual care

Date of Posting: 26-10-2025

Sick kids will spend less time in hospital under a program allowing doctors and nurses to safely monitor their condition remotely. More than 100 children have passed through the virtual emergency department under the trial, with 80 per cent succes Read More...

Japan reports bird flu outbreak in north of the country

Date of Posting: 24-10-2025

Japan has reported an outbreak of severe bird flu on an egg farm in the northern part of the country, the World Organisation for Animal Health says. The highly pathogenic avian influenza, commonly called bird flu, killed 46 birds on the farm locat Read More...

All heart: doc turns Bunnings pipe into medical marvel

Date of Posting: 24-10-2025

It might look like it comes out of a 1974 Datsun, but a revolutionary artificial heart with the potential to save thousands of lives would still be a pipe dream without government investment. Daniel Timms, the man who built the first model for the Read More...

Nurses, midwives vote to endorse lucrative pay deal

Date of Posting: 24-10-2025

A 10 month stand-off is over after a state's nurses and midwives accepting a $1.8 billion pay deal, double their initial offer. Queensland's public nurses and midwives are set to be among the highest paid in the country after voting in fav Read More...

Pharmacy giant grows as Australians try to shrink

Date of Posting: 23-10-2025

Sigma's mega-merger with Chemist Warehouse is delivering even more than the firm expected, its chairman says, as the pharmacy giant swells to become one of Australia's biggest listed companies. The pharmacy operator's first annual gene Read More...

Health provider charged over new mum's death in care

Date of Posting: 23-10-2025

A hospital, whose staff did not properly check on a new mum struggling through psychosis before her death, has been charged with failing to prevent health and safety risks to patients. Sarah Skillington had faced a difficult birth, experiencing an Read More...

One simple change could possibly save dozens of babies

Date of Posting: 23-10-2025

Dozens of babies could be saved every year under a simple policy change in Australia, with a doctor-turned-MP and a world leading diabetes expert calling for greater access to insulin pumps. In a visit to Australia, Helen Murphy has described expa Read More...

Elderly urged to socialise to improve health resilience

Date of Posting: 22-10-2025

Going on holiday, reading newspapers, having meals out and spending time with friends and family can help to reduce an elderly man's risk of frailty, a UK study suggests. Being more sociable can even be "beneficial" for frailty rever Read More...

'Failed model': private hospital back in public hands

Date of Posting: 22-10-2025

A 500-bed private hospital where a two-year-old's death triggered outrage will be bought with public funds to ensure the tragic scenario isn't repeated. Northern Beaches Hospital in Sydney - the jewel in the crown of Australia's larges Read More...

'Game-changer' technology could save babies' lives

Date of Posting: 22-10-2025

The lives of dozens of babies could be saved every year if the federal government subsidises a crucial technology that helps diabetics manage their insulin levels, a world-leading expert says. Helen Murphy, a UK-based professor whose work convince Read More...

Mum sedated four times by medics before overdose death

Date of Posting: 21-10-2025

A mother of three seeking treatment for schizophrenia was sedated four times by medical staff before she died from a drug overdose, an inquest has been told. NT Coroner Elisabeth Armitage is inquiring into the death of Kumunjayi Brogus, 34, on Nov Read More...

Record-high flu season as jab rates stall, GPs warn

Date of Posting: 21-10-2025

Australia is experiencing its worst-ever flu season, with some 410,000 cases of influenza reported this year, the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners says. The figures already exceeded 2024's record 365,000 case numbers and were Read More...

Peanut butter loving babies are licking allergies

Date of Posting: 21-10-2025

A decade after a landmark study proved that feeding peanut products to young babies could prevent them developing life-threatening allergies, it's making a big difference in the real world. About 60,000 children have avoided developing peanut Read More...

New study may open doors for families with Parkinson's

Date of Posting: 19-10-2025

Three generations of Amelia Dowe's family have been diagnosed with Parkinson's and while she harbours some worry for herself and her brothers, the 18-year-old isn't scared. "There's no point for us to live in fear of what may Read More...

National guidelines for menopause treatment on the way

Date of Posting: 19-10-2025

Huge knowledge gaps around menopause and perimenopause are leaving doctors unable to help patients manage their symptoms but new clinical guidelines will aim to change that. On World Menopause Day, the federal government announced it would open th Read More...

Workplaces urged to support employees in menopause

Date of Posting: 17-10-2025

Women experiencing menopause are one of Australia's fastest-growing workforce demographics, but they say shame, stigma and a lack of support is driving them to early retirement. The impacts of menopause on a woman's career can be profound, Read More...

Super payout warning over cosmetic medical treatments

Date of Posting: 17-10-2025

Tapping the compassionate release of super to fund inappropriate cosmetic procedures needs to be stamped out, the tax office and health practitioner regulators say. The warning comes as new ATO data shows a further jump in applicants seeking early Read More...

Dentists urged not to promote early super extractions

Date of Posting: 17-10-2025

Dentists are being urged to pull any advertising promoting the early withdrawal of superannuation funds to pay for dental work in new guidelines from their peak body. The Australian Dental Association guidelines have been released as the latest Au Read More...

Fertility rate hits record low as parents' ages climb

Date of Posting: 16-10-2025

The nation's fertility rate has hit a record low as the age of new parents continues to creep up and the number of babies they're having goes down. The Australian Bureau of Statistics has released data sets about births across the country, Read More...

What matters most when choosing an aged care home

Last Updated: 14-10-2025

Choosing the right aged care home is one of the most important decisions families can make. It’s not just about finding a comfortable place to live — it’s about ensuring loved ones receive the care, respect, and support they deserve Read More...

How residential aged care is evolving to meet modern needs

Date of Posting: 14-10-2025

Australia’s aged care landscape is evolving rapidly as providers respond to the changing needs and expectations of today’s seniors. Gone are the days when aged care simply meant a place to live with access to medical support. Modern resid Read More...

Medicinal cannabis being 'exploited' through telehealth

Date of Posting: 14-10-2025

Doctors and pharmacists have raised concerns about medicinal cannabis, alleging excessive and poorly regulated prescribing practices outside of "typical care pathways". Largely unregulated prescribing and dispensing of medicinal cannabis Read More...

Helping families of disabled kids 'find their village'

Last Updated: 13-10-2025

At a funeral for a baby who died just before her first birthday after struggling with a rare genetic condition and complex medical needs, three women stood together and noticed something that would stay with them long after. Around the room were c Read More...

Global life expectancy rebounds to pre-pandemic levels

Date of Posting: 13-10-2025

Global life expectancy has returned in 2023 to levels seen before the COVID-19 pandemic, rising to 76.3 years for women and 71.5 years for men. The Global Burden of Disease, a long-running study on mortality, has determined that since 1950, life e Read More...

Meet the 'dangerous' AI doctors fooling Australians

Date of Posting: 13-10-2025

AI-generated "health professionals" are dispensing bogus advice and even prescribing medicines to unsuspecting Australians. Multiple Facebook pages have been detected falsely purporting to belong to doctors specialising in dermatology, m Read More...

Trump medical checks find him in 'exceptional health'

Date of Posting: 12-10-2025

US President Donald Trump is in "exceptional health", his doctor says, following a check-up that included lab tests and preventive health assessments. Trump spent roughly three hours at Walter Reed National Military Medical Centre for wh Read More...

Alarm over prostate cancer rates in younger men

Date of Posting: 12-10-2025

Prostate cancer wasn't on Ben Jenkins' radar when he was unexpectedly diagnosed with an aggressive form of the condition at age 36. His GP suggested a prostate specific antigen test to get a baseline result against checks in the future but Read More...

William fights tears as he discusses impact of suicide

Date of Posting: 12-10-2025

Prince William has choked back tears as he discussed the devastating impact of suicide with a woman whose husband took his own life in a short film released by the British royal's office to mark World Mental Health Day. In the film, the heir t Read More...

Hospital damaged, ambulances diverted in wild weather

Last Updated: 10-10-2025

A hospital has been damaged and thousands of properties left without power by wild weather that has forced a state-wide severe warning. The Mersey Community Hospital in northwest Tasmania was being assessed on Friday morning for the full extent of Read More...

Landmark $5.8m penalty over health data cyber attack

Date of Posting: 10-10-2025

A landmark fine imposed after hundreds of thousands of pathology patients had their details leaked has been seen as a "vivid reminder" to corporations about protecting private data. Medlab Pathology was hit with a cyber attack and ransom Read More...

Fears 'silent killer' too often goes undetected

Date of Posting: 10-10-2025

Carla McNaughton was 30 when she was diagnosed with the "silent killer" of chronic kidney disease. She went to a doctor with dehydration and dark urine, and was found to have the illness also known as CKD.[subscribe] "I've ne Read More...

'Full' aged-care homes screening out needy residents

Date of Posting: 09-10-2025

Aged-care providers are screening out older people with high-support needs and ending clients' services without warning because of debts they were unaware of. The Older Persons Advocacy Network's Presenting Issues report has identified the Read More...