News Articles
Push-ups press the message of suicide prevention
Date of Posting: 19-05-2024
Thomas Halloran was the life of the party. A cheeky, fun-loving spirit who took life by the horns. Which is why his suicide at the age of 22 came as an unimaginable shock to his loved ones, including his older sister Annie Halloran.[subscribe] Read More...
Wastewater reveals divide in alcohol consumption
Date of Posting: 19-05-2024
Alcohol consumption is decreasing across the country, but city-dwellers are curbing their drinking at higher rates than their regional counterparts, a study has found. Wastewater samples from 50 sites across the country, collected over the past se Read More...
Funding package to help women who suffer miscarriages
Date of Posting: 19-05-2024
Women who experience miscarriage will receive bereavement support and boosted follow-up care through $9.5 million in new federal government funding. The support package will also address gaps in data to understand more about miscarriage, Assistant Read More...
Nurses close beds as 'fruitful' pay talks continue
Date of Posting: 17-05-2024
Victorian nurses have closed one in four hospital beds, forcing some surgeries to be cancelled, as they continue to negotiate for for better pay and conditions. Talks between the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation and the Victorian Hospit Read More...
Prescriptions company MediSecure hacked in major breach
Date of Posting: 17-05-2024
Federal police are investigating a large-scale hack at electronic prescriptions provider MediSecure. In a statement on Thursday, MediSecure confirmed it identified a cyber security breach involving the personal and health information of individual Read More...
More nurses for NSW hospitals in staffing boost
Date of Posting: 16-05-2024
More frontline healthcare workers in NSW hospitals will deliver better one-on-one patient care and improve minimum staffing levels on shifts. A state government initiative to provide improved safe staffing levels is under way with two major Sydney Read More...
Blood proteins 'could warn of cancer before diagnosis'
Date of Posting: 16-05-2024
Researchers have discovered proteins in the blood that could warn people of cancer more than seven years before it is diagnosed. The scientists identified 618 proteins linked to 19 types of cancer including bowel, prostate and breast cancers.[subs Read More...
Review sparked after three deaths at mental health unit
Date of Posting: 16-05-2024
Queensland's mental health services have come under fire after multiple deaths at a Brisbane hospital. An independent review has been launched after three people died by suicide in the past 16 months at Prince Charles Hospital's mental hea Read More...
Six deaths under review after hospital failure claims
Date of Posting: 15-05-2024
Six deaths at a major hospital have been referred to the coroner for investigation after allegations records were altered and legal reporting requirements not followed. Tasmania's health department launched a review after a Launceston General Read More...
Surgery wait lists slashed for children
Date of Posting: 15-05-2024
Wait times for overdue elective surgeries have been slashed for children in NSW after more than 1000 were left for too long without planned procedures. The state's biggest children's hospitals reported a 92 per cent reduction in over Read More...
Internet use linked to higher wellbeing, study finds
Date of Posting: 14-05-2024
Using the internet may be good for your wellbeing, an international study has found. The findings suggest that despite popular concerns to the contrary, the association between internet use and wellbeing is likely to be positive.[subscribe] Res Read More...
Minister's plea before nurse and ambo industrial action
Date of Posting: 14-05-2024
Victoria's health minister is urging nurses and paramedics to resolve enterprise agreement issues quickly, with unions poised to ramp up industrial action. Mary-Anne Thomas says it's crucial patient safety isn't impacted by the looming Read More...
Kids reeling as bullying, screen time take heavy toll
Date of Posting: 14-05-2024
Bullying and too much screen time are a major cause of mounting mental health issues among children, sparking alarm for parents already struggling with cost-of-living pressures. More than half of Australian parents are seriously concerned about th Read More...
Cheaper drugs for cancer, kidney disease patients
Date of Posting: 13-05-2024
Australians with endometrial cancer or chronic kidney disease will benefit from new government subsides for key drugs. Dostarlimab, which is used in combination with chemotherapy to treat endometrial cancer, and Difelikefalin, which is offer Read More...
Aussies in the dark on major heart attack risk factor
Date of Posting: 13-05-2024
One moment, 24-year-old economics graduate Geoff Lester was refereeing a social basketball game in Brisbane with friends while making plans to move to London to become a "big banker wanker". Two hours later, he was going under the knife Read More...
Elective surgery target slashed by Victorian government
Date of Posting: 13-05-2024
A key target for 240,000 Victorians to go under the knife for elective surgery each year is no more, with the state government quietly moving the goal-posts. In 2022, the Andrews Labor government boldly set itself a target to carry out 240,000 ele Read More...
Reforms target scrutiny of fertility clinic services
Date of Posting: 12-05-2024
Assisted reproductive technology companies will face greater scrutiny and regulation under laws proposed by the Queensland government. The state health service will be able to enter and inspect premises, put conditions on licences and even suspend Read More...
Mental health changes after woman's alleged murder
Date of Posting: 12-05-2024
A mental health review prompted by a patient allegedly murdering a woman and attacking another shortly after release has recommended changes at a major hospital. Shaun Michael Dunk was being treated for a mental health condition at the Royal Adela Read More...
Design and death: palliative care needs more creativity
Date of Posting: 12-05-2024
At the Caritas Christi palliative care unit, "homeliness" is sprawling crayon lines and scribbled messages of "get well soon", drawn by children in its arts room. It's the sense of quiet, the soft carpet underfoot, and the Read More...
Health practice suspended for miners' bung lung tests
Date of Posting: 10-05-2024
A health practice in central Queensland has been suspended after an audit found 135 miners had undergone inadequate lung testing. The state's mining safety body suspended a Mackay-based practice for six months after its audit revealed 30 per c Read More...
Whooping cough epidemic sweeps Europe: health agency
Date of Posting: 09-05-2024
European countries have reported a surge in whooping cough cases in 2023 and the first quarter of 2024, with 10 times as many identified as in each of the previous two years. In total, almost 60,000 cases were reported by European Union and Europe Read More...
Nurse breached boundaries, stalked former patient
Date of Posting: 09-05-2024
A former nurse has been disqualified from practising for nine months after he overstepped boundaries with two former patients, continually contacting them and stalking one. Craig Wilson was found to have breached professional boundaries with one p Read More...
Childhood upbringing linked to mental health conditions
Date of Posting: 09-05-2024
The impact of child abuse and neglect in Australia causes nearly half of common mental health conditions, a study has found. A University of Sydney study found childhood maltreatment accounted for 41 per cent of suicide attempts in the nation, 35 Read More...
New award for physiotherapy students at Bond University
Date of Posting: 09-05-2024
The annual Nancy Low Choy Memorial Award for Academic Excellence has been introduced to Bond University. It will be given to the top-performing student graduating with a Doctor of Physiotherapy degree from Bond University on the Gold Coast. Named aft Read More...
Study shows heavy lifting may help osteoporosis
Last Updated: 09-05-2024
A Griffith University research team has identified heavy lifting as a way to assist patients with osteoporosis. The team is encouraging clinicians to refer patients to heavy lifting exercise program to improve bone health. They believe this type o Read More...
Furniture suppliers to warn of toppling risk for kids
Date of Posting: 08-05-2024
Furniture suppliers will be required to provide safety warnings to people buying large items that can topple and potentially harm young children when not properly secured. Some 28 people - including 17 children under the age of five - have died in Read More...
Opioid treatment drug offers hope for long COVID cases
Date of Posting: 08-05-2024
A drug commonly used to treat opioid dependency may also prove life changing for long COVID-19 sufferers. Queensland scientists have discovered Naltrexone can be used on a low dose to alleviate long COVID's debilitating symptoms, describing it Read More...
Two copies of gene a 'virtual guarantee' of Alzheimer's
Date of Posting: 07-05-2024
People who carry two copies of the APOE4 gene are virtually guaranteed to develop Alzheimer's and face symptoms at an earlier age, researchers report in a study that could redefine such carriers as having a new genetic form of the mind-wasting di Read More...
Shot in the arm for winter disease fight
Date of Posting: 07-05-2024
More than one million doses of the influenza vaccine have been given in Victoria since the beginning of autumn. Just over one in five shots were administered by a pharmacist, two thirds given by general practitioners and the rest by other health p Read More...
Monash Health pleads guilty over patient's death
Date of Posting: 07-05-2024
The father of a woman admitted to a Melbourne mental health unit says he feels like he is in a "living nightmare" after the hospital failed to prevent his daughter's death. Monash Health pleaded guilty to contravening health and safe Read More...
Child protection a 'disgrace' say mental health experts
Date of Posting: 05-05-2024
Still reeling from the tragedy of a 10-year-old Aboriginal boy who took his own life in state care in Western Australia in April, First Nations mental health experts are calling for proper investment in preventative measures. Tania Brown, chief ex Read More...
Why Is A Jungle Gym Good For Kids Exercise?
Last Updated: 03-05-2024
Looking for a way to get your kids to be more active? We all know that children need to exercise to stay healthy. The good news is that kids can get all the exercise they need through play. The key is to make exercise fun, and what better way than to Read More...
Research improves early detection of prostate cancer
Date of Posting: 02-05-2024
An Australian-developed process that accurately identifies prostate cancer in low-risk patients "at point zero" could revolutionise detection. The process, developed by University of South Australia researcher Jessica Logan, has been ful Read More...
Disability service accused of reporting failures
Date of Posting: 02-05-2024
Australia's disability insurance scheme regulator has taken legal action against a provider for allegedly failing to report more than 600 incidents, including sexual misconduct, within required time frames. The NDIS Quality and Safeguards Comm Read More...
Paramedics' mobile numbers 'exposed' in data breach
Date of Posting: 29-04-2024
Victorian paramedics have been ensnared in another apparent privacy breach, with a union declaring staff members' mobile phone numbers were exposed. The Victorian Ambulance Union was notified the personal mobile phone numbers and rostering sta Read More...
Bulk-billing increase ruled out despite rate rise
Date of Posting: 29-04-2024
Almost one million extra trips to the GP have been bulk-billed since additional incentives for doctors came into effect, but the government has ruled out further rises to the scheme. The bulk-billing rate rose 2.1 per cent to 77.7 per cent in Marc Read More...
ACN calls for school-focused campaign to educate and retain nurses.
Last Updated: 29-04-2024
A campaign to promote the image of nursing is required if Australia is to keep up with the needs of its growing and ageing population, according to the Australian College of Nursing. The ACN has called on the government to fund a campaign which wo Read More...
'A pretty good gig': understanding orthopaedic physiotherapy
Date of Posting: 29-04-2024
A lack of understanding around the role of the orthopaedic physiotherapist exists among patients and professionals both within and outside of the hospital environment, according to educator Michael Edmonds. “I have lost count of the number o Read More...
New hope for Aussies battling early stage breast cancer
Last Updated: 28-04-2024
Australians who live with a high risk of recurrence after early breast cancer will soon pay as little as $7.70 for an expanded treatment that could halt the disease from spreading. The federal government is expanding subsidies for abemaciclib (Ver Read More...
After 25 years, birthing suite available for rural mums
Date of Posting: 28-04-2024
For 25 years, women in Queensland's Cape York Peninsula have travelled more than 800km in their last month of pregnancy to access maternity services. But that is all about to change.[subscribe] Weipa Hospital's new birthing services wil Read More...
