News Articles
Better Access mental health 'inequitable'
Date of Posting: 03-01-2023
The federal health minister has defended the decision to cut subsidised mental health care, saying the Better Access program was inequitable. Mark Butler said the increase in subsidised sessions was meant to be a temporary measure during the COVID Read More...
Psychologists urge reversal on rebate cut
Date of Posting: 28-12-2022
Psychologists are urging the federal government to reverse a decision to slash subsidised mental health sessions in half. The changes are due to come into place on January 1 and would reduce the number of Medicare subsidised psychology sessions fr Read More...
Summer sun heightens risk of surfer's eye
Date of Posting: 28-12-2022
Spending too much time in the sun this summer could eventually see some Australians under the different lights of an operating theatre, a leading Sydney ophthalmologist has warned. Stephanie Watson, chair of the Ophthalmic Research Institute of Au Read More...
China scraps COVID quarantine for arrivals
Date of Posting: 28-12-2022
China will stop requiring inbound travellers to go into quarantine from January 8 in a major step towards easing curbs on its borders, which have been largely shut since 2020. China's management of COVID-19 will also be downgraded to the less Read More...
Countless cases strain China health system
Date of Posting: 26-12-2022
The eastern Chinese province of Zhejiang is battling about one million new daily COVID-19 infections, a number expected to double in the days ahead, the provincial government says. Despite a record surge of cases nationwide, China reported no COVI Read More...
Supermarket issues urgent recall of cheese
Date of Posting: 26-12-2022
A popular cheese has been pulled from supermarket shelves after traces of a dangerous contaminant were discovered. The product in question - Coles Finest Australian Organic Washed Rind Raw - has been available for sale online and in-store througho Read More...
Tips from shrinks for a mind-healthy Xmas
Date of Posting: 26-12-2022
Lowering expectations is one way to have a merry Christmas this year, which may mean focusing on the relationships that actually bring us joy. Australians are also being reminded to look out for others these holidays, asking those without plans to Read More...
Victorians warned as streptococcal on rise
Date of Posting: 24-12-2022
Victorians are being warned that cases of invasive group A streptococcal disease are on the rise. The bacteria is found in the throat and on the skin, and can cause conditions including strep throat, scarlet fever, pneumonia and meningitis.[subscr Read More...
Xmas, New Year red-hot for burn injuries
Date of Posting: 24-12-2022
As the festive season kicks into full swing, health experts are urging the public to take extra precaution during what is otherwise known as the busiest period for burns injuries. Christmas Day, New Year's Eve and New Year's Day are among Read More...
Japanese encephalitis case detected in NSW
Date of Posting: 24-12-2022
The first summer case of Japanese encephalitis has been identified in the central west of NSW. The virus is spread through mosquito bites and was diagnosed in an older man from Lake Cargelligo, who is likely to have acquired the infection early in Read More...
China braces for severe COVID case surge
Date of Posting: 22-12-2022
Beijing is facing a surge in severe COVID-19 cases amid concerns over the potential toll and knock-on effects for the world economy after the surprise ditching of China's tough virus policies. Following widespread protests, the country of 1.4 Read More...
Wait times rise as Vic names new ambo boss
Date of Posting: 22-12-2022
Victoria's ambulance service has named its next chief executive after the body's long-overdue annual report highlighted the scope of its deteriorating response times. Department of Health deputy state controller Jane Miller will become Amb Read More...
Abuse on the rise in Vic youth systems
Date of Posting: 22-12-2022
Victorian children and young people in out-of-home care are increasingly suffering from physical abuse and sexual exploitation, as the state government signals it could unilaterally raise the age of criminal responsibility. Experts have raised saf Read More...
China adds hospital beds amid COVID surge
Date of Posting: 21-12-2022
Cities across China are scrambling to install hospital beds and build fever screening clinics as the United States said Beijing's surprise decision to let the virus run free was a concern for the world. China this month abruptly began dismantl Read More...
Toxic algae warning for Sydney shellfish
Date of Posting: 21-12-2022
People are being warned not to eat shellfish caught in the Broken Bay area at the mouth of the Hawkesbury River, north of Sydney, due to possible health risks. The NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI) is advising people not to consume shellf Read More...
Private health insurers must prove value
Date of Posting: 21-12-2022
Australian health insurers are being urged to deliver better value for money after making huge profits during the pandemic, as well as increasing spending on executives' salaries. A report from the Australian Medical Association found some ins Read More...
Fight against COVID impact a long game
Date of Posting: 20-12-2022
Medical experts are calling on the federal government to roll out a public education campaign about the risks of long COVID-19 and how to access health support. A parliamentary committee examining long COVID has received more than 500 submissions Read More...
More young Aussies feel isolated, left out
Date of Posting: 20-12-2022
Forced to endure months in COVID-19 lockdown, most young Australians have come away feeling lonely and left out. The majority of 12- to 25-year-olds feel isolated from others, according to headspace's national youth mental health survey releas Read More...
Healthy jump in overseas doctor arrivals
Date of Posting: 20-12-2022
With borders back open, thousands of international doctors are again coming to work in Australia. Close to 3000 new doctors arrived in Australia in the past year, a 41 per cent rise in international medical graduate registrations.[subscribe] Re Read More...
Vic injury spike prompts festive warning
Last Updated: 19-12-2022
Victorians are being warned to keep themselves out of hospital this "silly season" as doctors report a recent spike in traumatic injuries. Melbourne's The Alfred Hospital saw nearly 400 people admitted to its emergency and trauma cen Read More...
Aust scientists set sights on success
Date of Posting: 19-12-2022
The outlook for ageing people with sight issues may be looking brighter with Australian scientists on the cusp of a breakthrough new treatment. Age-related macular degeneration is a progressive and chronic disease of the retina - the part of the e Read More...
Google lifts ban on Aussie abortion ads
Date of Posting: 17-12-2022
Google has reversed a decision that stopped Australia's largest abortion services provider placing advertisements on its platform. It followed calls from Greens Senator Larissa Waters for the company to explain the move while pushing for repre Read More...
Kids open wide for tooth decay study
Date of Posting: 17-12-2022
More than 30,000 Australian children aged five to 14 will be examined over the next four years to determine the extent and causes of tooth decay. In the first investigation of such size for a decade, the University of Adelaide will also follow up Read More...
Prostate cancer costliest disease to treat
Date of Posting: 17-12-2022
Prostate cancer is Australia's most expensive disease to treat with costs ballooning to $1.35 billion a year. Data from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) published this month shows prostate cancer accounts for 20 per cent o Read More...
Hospital sex-abuse report rebukes leaders
Date of Posting: 15-12-2022
Senior management at a Tasmanian hospital where a male pedophile nurse worked for almost two decades showed "inertia" to implementing child safety reforms after his death, a review has found. The Launceston General Hospital (LGH) was the Read More...
WHO hopes for end to pandemic in 2023
Date of Posting: 15-12-2022
The World Health Organisation is optimistic that the global health emergency due to the coronavirus pandemic can be lifted in 2023. They hope is to be able to say next year "this is not a pandemic anymore," WHO head Tedros Adhanom Ghebre Read More...
China won't count asymptomatic virus cases
Date of Posting: 15-12-2022
China says it will stop reporting asymptomatic COVID-19 cases since they have become "impossible" to track with mass testing no longer required, another step in the country's uncertain exit from some of the world's strictest antivir Read More...
Hotel nurses concerned for patient safety
Date of Posting: 14-12-2022
A Melbourne nurse who signed up to support hotel quarantine nearly walked out on day one because of a lack of consistent procedures. Despite concerns he couldn't keep patients safe, Michael Tait said he enjoyed the camaraderie and the challeng Read More...
Historic Smokefree NZ legislation passes
Date of Posting: 14-12-2022
New Zealand has banned the sale of cigarettes to anyone born after 2008 in a landmark attempt to eradicate smoking. The legislation, which passed late on Tuesday, will also slash the number of outlets able to sell cigarettes and cut nicotine in ci Read More...
How ultrasound could treat Alzheimer's
Date of Posting: 14-12-2022
Ultrasound treatments could be the key to restoring memory function for people with Alzheimer's disease, researchers say. A decade of research at the University of Queensland, through the Queensland Brain Institute, has led to a 12-month trial Read More...
Call for action on rising suicide rates
Last Updated: 13-12-2022
More Australians are taking their own lives now than during the pandemic, and experts fear the issue could worsen over coming years. The number of suicides in NSW and Victoria increased by 10 per cent from January to September this year, averaging Read More...
Poor health increasing among Australians
Date of Posting: 13-12-2022
Sickness and disease within the Australian population is on the rise for the first time in almost two decades - and COVID-19 is one of the leading causes. Despite the increase, the nation remains healthier than it was when monitoring started in 20 Read More...
Protection for genetic test results urged
Date of Posting: 13-12-2022
Insurance companies have been using the results of people's genetic tests to deny them cover, or raise the cost of their premiums, new research shows. Current settings regulating the life insurance industry are failing to protect consumers, th Read More...
Access tightened for free COVID PCR tests
Date of Posting: 13-12-2022
Patients will need a referral in order to get a free COVID PCR test from next year, under sweeping changes to how the country manages the virus. Under a new national management plan for 2023, the government is set to move away from "COVID exc Read More...
Fed govt releases COVID-19 plan for 2023
Date of Posting: 12-12-2022
The federal government will invest $2.8 million in a national COVID-19 management plan for 2023, warning the virus will continue to affect Australians. Health Minister Mark Butler says the government's clear priority is to minimise the inciden Read More...
Phone app to help with heart attacks
Date of Posting: 12-12-2022
A potentially life-saving smartphone app has been launched in South Australia to help people having a heart attack get access to help sooner. The GoodSAM app will be used by SA Ambulance staff and volunteers before being rolled out to other health Read More...
Caution as China slowly exits 'zero-COVID'
Date of Posting: 11-12-2022
With quiet streets in the heart of China's capital and city eateries adhering to virus curbs, the anxieties created by the "zero-COVID-19" regime could hinder the world's second-largest economy's return to health. Though the Read More...
Children's dental program funding extended
Date of Posting: 11-12-2022
Vulnerable children will receive further access to dental treatment following the extension of a government program. Funding for the child dental benefits schedule will be extended for a further four years.[subscribe] The scheme allows eligible Read More...
Aust trial treats COVID-19 blood clots
Date of Posting: 11-12-2022
An Australasian clinical trial has shed light on the most efficient level of blood thinning treatment needed for patients hospitalised with COVID-19. Patients in hospital with the virus are at increased risk of blood clots (or thromboses), which i Read More...
COVID case rise slows, peak on horizon
Date of Posting: 10-12-2022
The rise in COVID-19 cases is slowing nationally as NSW eyes a peak in its infections on the horizon. States and territories reported a total of 111,449 new cases on Friday, a six-per-cent rise on last week's figure but well down on the 15-per Read More...
