News Articles
APA calls for physiotherapists to be included in Urgent Care Clinics
Last Updated: 14-03-2023
The Australian Physiotherapy Association has called on the government to include physiotherapists in newly announced Medicare Urgent Care Clinics, which would see families in South Australia and Queensland get care from a nurse or doctor without havi Read More...
Lack of mental health support for war veteran in jail
Date of Posting: 13-03-2023
On three tours of Afghanistan, Christopher James Finn saw death, destruction and human suffering. Diagnosed with severe post-traumatic stress disorder, the 35-year-old former soldier requires specialist mental health treatment.[subscribe] Howev Read More...
New laws target illicit tobacco and vapes sold to kids
Date of Posting: 13-03-2023
People using vapes will not get a pass in no-smoking areas and there will be a crackdown on tobacco chop shops under new laws proposed for Queensland. There will also be an expansion of smoke-free areas, a new licensing scheme and greater restrict Read More...
Greens push for better pregnancy services in NSW
Date of Posting: 13-03-2023
The Greens are calling for free and safe pregnancy services for women in NSW including access to abortions in all public hospitals. Despite being decriminalised in the state three years ago, just two public hospitals in NSW offer abortions.[subscr Read More...
Funding to blame for lack of kids' transplants
Date of Posting: 12-03-2023
The NSW opposition has pointed the finger at the government following reports children are being put at risk because of a lack of pediatric heart transplants at The Children's Hospital at Westmead. The hospital completed five of the transplant Read More...
Parliamentary inquiry to examine vaping risks
Date of Posting: 12-03-2023
A parliamentary inquiry will look into the health risks of vaping and how many young people are using e-cigarettes in a bid to further slash smoking rates. The Queensland government on Sunday announced the inquiry to better inform people about the Read More...
Women facing coercive control over their pregnancies
Date of Posting: 12-03-2023
Jane's husband became resentful of her close relationship with their first baby, claiming she had manipulated their newborn daughter into only wanting her mother. Then Paul gave Jane an ultimatum: fall pregnant with their second child, and hav Read More...
One in five adults can't name a heart attack symptom
Date of Posting: 11-03-2023
Chest pain, shortness of breath, discomfort in the arms, neck or shoulders. Universally recognised heart attack warning signs, right? Not so for up to four million Australians apparently.[subscribe] New research shows one in five adults can' Read More...
Research shows rise in nicotine use during early COVID
Date of Posting: 11-03-2023
Australians' nicotine consumption increased significantly during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, researchers say. Consumption increased by 30 per cent in the early stages of the virus, and was significantly higher in the first half Read More...
Patients reject life-saving heart medicine, study shows
Date of Posting: 11-03-2023
People with high cholesterol are refusing to take prescribed heart medicine, a new study has found, prompting calls for better cardiovascular health awareness. The study, which reviewed the medical data of millions of US citizens, found one in fiv Read More...
Lifeline support expands to combat record suicide rates
Date of Posting: 09-03-2023
Victorians now have access to more mental health support services following the launch of a suicide prevention helpline to combat record high rates across the state. Up to three people take their own lives every week in Victoria for various reason Read More...
Mediterranean diet may reduce prostate cancer risk
Date of Posting: 09-03-2023
Eating a Mediterranean diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables could reduce the risk of being diagnosed with prostate cancer, new research suggests. Two studies by the University of South Australia have examined the role of micronutrients in pre Read More...
Caution urged when using AI to answer health questions
Date of Posting: 09-03-2023
Flinders University researchers have cautioned against the use of artificial intelligence programs to seek health advice, calling for regulators and health-care experts to be involved in developing quality standards. In a recent study, the univers Read More...
Second death from Murray Valley encephalitis confirmed
Date of Posting: 07-03-2023
A second woman has died from Murray Valley encephalitis and a man is in hospital with the virus as more suspected cases are investigated. A woman in her sixties died in late February and a man in his seventies is receiving treatment in hospital, V Read More...
Victorian health records sharing bill back for debate
Date of Posting: 07-03-2023
Contentious proposed laws to create a centralised Victorian health database are set for parliamentary scrutiny, with the opposition and crossbench pushing for changes. The Health Legislation Amendment (Information Sharing) Bill is expected to be d Read More...
Language to be no barrier for accessing HIV support
Date of Posting: 07-03-2023
Hundreds of people from culturally and linguistically diverse communities living with HIV will be better able to understand vital education material as part of a national push to improve their quality of life. Living Positive Victoria, which repre Read More...
Be safe when seeking the perfect selfie smile
Date of Posting: 05-03-2023
Bright pearly whites might look healthy but beneath the sparkling smile may lie an ugly truth. A drastic increase in at-home teeth whitening could be causing untold damage to thousands of Australians mouths, with people excessively bleaching their Read More...
More senior Australians receive cheaper healthcare
Date of Posting: 05-03-2023
New figures show thousands of senior Australians have received access to cheaper medicine and GP visits since changes late last year to the commonwealth seniors health card. Eligibility amendments to the card in November led to 10,893 people benef Read More...
Aphasia patients get chance to be 'part of life again'
Date of Posting: 05-03-2023
When Paul Fraser collapsed in his Byron Bay home he lay helpless on the floor, suddenly unable to speak. His wife Julie Brown immediately called an ambulance, knowing he was likely having a stroke.[subscribe] "He was speaking gobbledygook, Read More...
WHO 'still working to identify origins of COVID-19'
Date of Posting: 04-03-2023
The World Health Organisation is still working to identify the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic, its director general says, after a US agency was reported to have assessed the pandemic had likely been caused by a Chinese laboratory leak. "I h Read More...
SA health concerned over tuberculosis outbreak
Date of Posting: 04-03-2023
A spate of tuberculosis cases on South Australia's Indigenous lands has raised concerns among health authorities. Chief Public Health Officer Nicola Spurrier and the director of SA's TB service Simone Barry travelled to the Anangu Pitjantj Read More...
Half the world 'will be overweight or obese by 2035'
Date of Posting: 04-03-2023
More than half of the world's population will be overweight or obese by 2035 without significant action, according to a report. The World Obesity Federation's 2023 atlas predicts that 51 per cent of the world, or more than four billion peo Read More...
Recent Cambodia bird flu cases 'not spread by humans'
Date of Posting: 02-03-2023
Recent cases of bird flu discovered in two Cambodian villagers, one of them fatal, show no sign of human-to-human transmission, health officials in the country say, allaying fears of a public health crisis. An 11-year-old Cambodian girl from a vil Read More...
'Secure' My Health app brings records to mobile devices
Date of Posting: 02-03-2023
Digital health record information will now be accessible on a new mobile app. Information such as pathology results, vaccine histories and hospital discharge summaries will be available through the My Health app, being rolled out by the Australian Read More...
More than 104,000 wait to see health specialist in Qld
Date of Posting: 02-03-2023
The number of Queensland patients waiting longer than clinically recommended to see a specialist in public hospitals has surged more than 80 per cent to 104,000 in a year, according to the auditor-general. The Queensland Audit Office also revealed Read More...
Cough syrups, lozenges recalled due to safety risk
Last Updated: 01-03-2023
Cough medicines containing pholcodine are being recalled from Australian pharmacies due to safety concerns. The Therapeutic Goods Administration on Tuesday cancelled the 55 products from the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods and ordered the Read More...
Ambulance call-outs hit decade high in NSW
Date of Posting: 01-03-2023
The number of ambulance call-outs in NSW reached at least a decade high in the final quarter of last year, with emergency departments also experiencing near-record demand. Authorities continue to urge patients to keep emergency departments for eme Read More...
More funding, uniform law needed to fix abortion access
Date of Posting: 01-03-2023
Abortion laws across Australian jurisdictions must be harmonised to ensure equitable access for all pregnant people, a leading provider says. A parliamentary committee investigating universal access to reproductive care is examining barriers to co Read More...
Drop in premature births during COVID lockdowns
Date of Posting: 28-02-2023
There were fewer premature births around the world during the first four months of COVID-19 lockdowns. A study of 52 million births in 26 countries found a three to four per cent drop in preterm births - defined as birth before 37 weeks gestation Read More...
Fresh push to stop 'silent pandemic' of superbugs
Date of Posting: 28-02-2023
There are fears a "silent pandemic" of antimicrobial resistance could kill millions globally within decades, prompting a plea for greater action in Australia. The overuse or misuse of antibiotics can lead to medication becoming ineffecti Read More...
Victoria boosts Japanese encephalitis vax eligibility
Date of Posting: 28-02-2023
Japanese encephalitis has infected more Victorians than first thought, the state's health department says, as it opens vaccine eligibility to more local government areas. The department has estimated about one in 30 people in affected northern Read More...
Ministers agree to public hospital funding review
Last Updated: 26-02-2023
Taking the pressure off public hospitals will be the subject of an independent review agreed by health ministers. Federal Health Minister Mark Butler met with his state and territory counterparts in Brisbane on Friday, agreeing to former health bu Read More...
WHO working with Cambodia on 'worrying' bird flu
Date of Posting: 26-02-2023
The World Health Organisation is working with the Cambodian authorities after two confirmed human cases of H5N1 bird flu were found among one family in the country. Describing the situation as "worrying" due to the recent rise in cases i Read More...
NSW doctors in 'Hunger Games' fight for resources
Date of Posting: 26-02-2023
Urgent action is needed to address a workforce collapse in NSW, as doctors say they are competing for resources in a "healthcare Hunger Games". "Doctors are abandoning the NSW health system - fed up, burnt out, and attracted by bett Read More...
Virus cases rise as mandatory reporting ends
Date of Posting: 25-02-2023
National COVID-19 cases have risen slightly in the final week before mandatory reporting of positive cases comes to an end in Australia. The ACT government on Thursday confirmed it would remove its requirement for residents to disclose COVID-19 in Read More...
Queensland the first state to roll out pill testing
Date of Posting: 25-02-2023
Queensland will become the first Australian state to roll out pill-testing sites in an attempt to curb the harmful effects of illicit drugs. The move will shift the country more in line with global standards on harm minimisation, one advocate says Read More...
Study backs exercise as mental health treatment
Date of Posting: 25-02-2023
Exercise is better than counselling and medications for managing depression and should be used as a mainstay approach, new research has found. The University of South Australia looked at 97 reviews on the benefits of exercise which involved 1039 t Read More...
First measles case in four years sparks contact tracing
Date of Posting: 23-02-2023
Tasmania has recorded its first measles case in four years, a person who recently returned from travelling overseas. The person, in their late 20s, tested positive on Wednesday and is in isolation in the Launceston General Hospital.[subscribe] Read More...
Dental care waiting times drop but are still too high
Date of Posting: 23-02-2023
The time Victorians wait for public dental treatment has dropped to just over 16 months on average, which is still too high. While it's the lowest overall wait time since 2016-17 it should be less than a year, according to Australian Dental As Read More...
Dementia now afflicts more seniors than heart disease
Date of Posting: 23-02-2023
Dementia has overtaken coronary heart disease as the leading cause of illness, injury and death among Australians aged 65 and over. Last year, the neurological disorder was responsible for nearly 230,000 years of healthy life lost, marking a 61 pe Read More...
