News Articles
Nurses campaign for patients before profits
Last Updated: 13-04-2015
Australians face sky-high American-style treatment costs if governments continue to privatise hospitals and health services. That’s the message from the New South Wales Nurses and Midwives’ Association (NSWNMA) in its new television ad Read More...
Labor avoids talk of LNP's health legacy
Last Updated: 13-04-2015
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk says Labor doesn't know whether it will keep Queensland's Wait Time Guarantee policy for public hospital patients. Queensland Labor is reluctant to say whether it has inherited a good health system from the pr Read More...
Last Updated: 13-04-2015
A "nightmare" drug resistant bacteria that's linked to contaminated medical instruments has infected scores of people in the US. An outbreak of deadly, drug-resistant bacteria that has infected scores of people in the US is linked to Read More...
Berries being screened for virus
Last Updated: 13-04-2015
Authorities are examining how berries contaminated with hepatitis A ended up being imported into Australia. Prime Minister Tony Abbott has assured Australians all berry products involved in a hepatitis A outbreak are being screened as the threat o Read More...
Food industry blamed over obesity
Last Updated: 13-04-2015
New estimates suggest US children are consuming 200 more calories a day than they were in the 1970s and also weigh five kilograms more than 30 years ago. Food companies and lack of government action are largely to blame for "unacceptably slow Read More...
Dietitians urge celebrity chef to reconsider Paleo cookbook
Last Updated: 13-04-2015
The Dietitians Association of Australia (DAA) is calling on celebrity chef Pete Evans and the co-authors of his controversial Paleo cookbook for babies and toddlers to reconsider a plan to release a digital publication of their book. The peak body Read More...
Nurses criticise emergency targets
Last Updated: 13-04-2015
An injection of funding to increase staffing levels is paramount to providing improved care for New Zealand patients in hospital emergency departments, according to the New Zealand Nurses Organisation (NZNO). The NZNO holds concerns that the gover Read More...
Huff and puff to live longer: study
Date of Posting: 09-04-2015
Exercise that gets you puffed reduces your risk of early death, according to a large Australian study that might prompt changes to exercise guidelines. A six-year study of 204,000 people from NSW aged over 45 years found those who did vigorous exe Read More...
Government flags immunisation crackdown
Date of Posting: 09-04-2015
The government says it is not good enough that parents expect taxpayer funding yet don't vaccinate their kids. The federal government has flagged a possible welfare crackdown on parents who fail to vaccinate their children.[subscribe] It co Read More...
WA hospital contamination 'scaremongering'
Date of Posting: 09-04-2015
WA's health minister has dismissed as "scaremongering" claims that patients at Perth's new hospital have been operated on with contaminated equipment. But Kim Hames has again admitted that Fiona Stanley Hospital has had problems Read More...
Plea for pregnancy care blood tests
Date of Posting: 02-04-2015
Checking the blood pressure of pregnant women accurately and regularly is the best way of diagnosing potentially deadly hypertensive disorders, according to research. Hypertension (high blood pressure) is the most common medical problem in pregnan Read More...
Qld children's hospital opening slammed
Date of Posting: 31-03-2015
A report into the much-maligned early operations of the Lady Cilento Children's Hospital in Brisbane found a long list of problems from missing medical records to disoriented staff. A clinical review team, containing leading public health figu Read More...
Seeking Aussies for major anorexia study
Last Updated: 31-03-2015
Australian and international researchers are aiming to identify the genes that predispose people to the eating disorder. Ultimately they hope to find a cure for the illness that currently affects an estimated 53,000 Australians.[subscribe] QIMR Read More...
No timeline on Vic smokefree dining
Date of Posting: 31-03-2015
The Victorian government won't put a timeline on banning smoking in outdoor dining areas, despite being the last state to adopt such a policy. The state opposition wants smoking in eating areas banned but Health minister Jill Hennessy says it& Read More...
Swiss target 'live cell' injection clinics
Date of Posting: 27-03-2015
Swiss health regulators have launched a criminal probe into clinics suspected of giving clients potentially dangerous animal cell injections as part of anti-ageing treatments. The investigation targets private clinics and people who have illegally Read More...
Flying Doctors defend safety record in Qld
Date of Posting: 27-03-2015
The Royal Flying Doctor Service has defended its safety record after an independent audit into how the organisation runs. Health Minister Cameron Dick announced on Thursday an independent audit had found governance and policy issues with the iconi Read More...
Qld nursing homes told to improve service
Date of Posting: 27-03-2015
A group of Queensland aged-care homes targeted in a federal government audit blitz will be allowed to stay open, but have been told to improve in several key areas. The Australian Aged Care Quality Agency (AACQA) on Thursday publicly released revi Read More...
New Ebola trial vaccine 'safe': researcher
Date of Posting: 27-03-2015
The latest in a string of candidate vaccines against the deadly Ebola virus has proven safe in an early trial in healthy adults in China. But while it triggered an antibody response in test subjects, further trials must be held to establish whethe Read More...
Registration renewal fee drop for nurses and midwives
Last Updated: 26-03-2015
Australia’s 361,000 registered and enrolled nurses, midwives and nurse practitioners will pay $10 less when they renew their registration this year. Nurses, midwives and nurse practitioners will now pay $150 when they renew their general reg Read More...
More medical checks after TB scare
Date of Posting: 24-03-2015
More than a dozen people have to undergo further medical checks after health authorities screened a far north Queensland school for tuberculosis. More than 100 people connected to the Cairns State High School were screened for tuberculosis in the Read More...
Last Updated: 23-03-2015
The Medicare co-payment has been scrapped almost a year after it was first mooted. The federal government has scrapped its unpopular plan for a GP co-payment, Health Minister Sussan Ley has confirmed.[subscribe] "It is clear the proposal f Read More...
Common traits in men who attempt suicide
Date of Posting: 20-03-2015
New research has identified four factors that are common among suicidal men. The beyondblue team says being aware of these distinctive traits may help family members or friends identify men who are at risk.[subscribe] The research, based on int Read More...
Qld urges haste with cannabis trials
Date of Posting: 19-03-2015
Queensland's Labor government is pressuring health authorities to speed up clinical trials of medical marijuana. With trials yet to begin despite the NSW government legislating for them in December, Queensland Police Minister Jo-Ann Miller has Read More...
Vaccination call after baby's cough death
Date of Posting: 19-03-2015
The vaccination debate has been reignited following the death of a four-week-old baby in Perth from whooping cough. Riley John Hughes died from the disease in Princess Margaret Hospital on Tuesday.[subscribe] His is the first death from whoopin Read More...
Diabetes risk for obese mothers
Date of Posting: 19-03-2015
Obese women who develop gestational diabetes while pregnant and put on more weight after giving birth are 43 times more likely to develop diabetes than slim women, a study has found. The increasing prevalence of gestational diabetes parallels the Read More...
Food companies failing on health stars
Last Updated: 18-03-2015
Consumer group Choice has criticised a number of major food manufacturers for so far failing to put health star labels on their products. Consumer group Choice has slammed major food manufacturers including Kellogg's for failing to sign up to Read More...
Baird promises 3500 doctors, health staff
Date of Posting: 18-03-2015
The NSW coalition has rolled hundreds of millions more in spending pledges for health services on the 2015 campaign trail. The NSW government has promised $400 million for a key Sydney hospital, along with thousands more doctors and nurses for oth Read More...
Cancer fears in France over implants
Date of Posting: 18-03-2015
France's national cancer institute has found there's a clear link between a rare form of cancer and a silicone breast implant. France's national cancer institute says there is a "clearly established link" between a rare form Read More...
Researchers identify motor neurone genes
Date of Posting: 17-03-2015
Australian researcher have identified gene variants that are “promising candidates” for playing a role in the development of motor neurone disease. Australian researchers have identified a host of genetic changes that underlie motor ne Read More...
Qld mum dies of meningococcal disease
Date of Posting: 17-03-2015
A Sunshine Coast mother-of-two has died in hospital after contracting meningococcal disease. A mother-of-two has died on the Sunshine Coast after contracting meningococcal disease.[subscribe] The Sunshine Coast Hospital and Health Service says Read More...
Anti-cholesterol drug shows promise
Date of Posting: 16-03-2015
An experimental drug has shown promise for high-cholesterol patients who are not able to manage their condition with diet, exercise and current drugs. People taking an experimental drug called Repatha (evolocumab) for high cholesterol were half as Read More...
Aortic valve replacement beats no surgery
Date of Posting: 16-03-2015
Researchers believe the frail elderly with a common heart condition can now be treated with a minimally-invasive procedure rather than open heart surgery. A minimally-invasive procedure to replace the aortic valve without doing open heart surgery Read More...
Qld plans opt-in child vaccination laws
Date of Posting: 13-03-2015
Queensland's government wants to give childcare centres the power to ban children from their premises, but is not planning a blanket ban. Queensland's government is planning new child vaccination laws, but the opposition wants evidence the Read More...
Teen cannabis use 'affects memory'
Date of Posting: 13-03-2015
A new study has found that teenagers who heavily smoke cannabis has a misshapen part of their brain which could affect memory. Teenagers who smoke a lot of cannabis may suffer brain damage and experience long-term memory loss as young adults, a st Read More...
Date of Posting: 12-03-2015
Intensive lifestyle and health interventions on memory and thinking can help older people at higher risk of dementia. Healthy eating, exercise, brain-training and health management can slow down mental decline in older people, according to a Finni Read More...
Stop prescription drug abuse: Ledger's dad
Date of Posting: 12-03-2015
Prescription drugs should be monitored in real time to stop overdose tragedies, Heath Ledger's father says. Heath Ledger's father hopes prescription drug monitoring systems will help prevent more tragedies such as his son's death.[subs Read More...
Sugar industry influenced cavity research
Date of Posting: 11-03-2015
The US sugar industry conspired to push research away from decreasing sugar consumption to ways of mitigating its effects on teeth, researchers say. The sugar industry convinced US government scientists decades ago to research ways of preventing c Read More...
Qld govt 'lowering the bar' on health: LNP
Date of Posting: 11-03-2015
The Queensland government will scrap Australia's first elective surgery wait time guarantee and allocate $30 million to address current wait list blowouts. The Queensland government will tinker with a flawed elective surgery system, but the op Read More...
Print-at-home glucose tests for diabetics
Date of Posting: 11-03-2015
Australian researchers have printed out saliva-based glucose tests for diabetics that in two to three years might replace finger-prick blood tests. A new saliva-based glucose test created by Australian researchers using a common printer could mean Read More...
Meat-free diet 'reduces bowel risk'
Date of Posting: 10-03-2015
Scientists have found that, compared with meat-eaters, vegetarians had a 22 per cent reduced risk of bowel cancer. Cutting meat out of the diet reduces the risk of bowel cancer, especially if you eat fish as well as vegetables, a study has shown.[ Read More...
