News Articles
Concerns over NSW's rural health response
Date of Posting: 02-09-2022
NSW paramedics say the state government's response to a damning report into rural health falls short of what's needed for country ambulance services. Meanwhile, doctors want country practices given immediate tax breaks to help keep GPs in Read More...
Exercise, not meds, key to back pain fix
Date of Posting: 01-09-2022
Doctors are set to start prescribing exercise instead of medication and bed rest for lower back pain sufferers, as new clinical guidelines dismiss traditional treatments as inappropriate for most. The clinical care standard, released by the Austra Read More...
Cosmetic surgery's pathway to reform
Date of Posting: 01-09-2022
March 2021 The Senate refers an inquiry into the administration of registration and notifications by the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency to the Senate Community Affairs References Committee.[subscribe] October 2021 A joint i Read More...
Rise in non-harmful melanoma detection
Date of Posting: 01-09-2022
Scientists have identified a dramatic increase in the treatment of "pre-cancerous" melanomas that might not be harmful, according to new research. The research out of QIMR Berghofer suggests many pre-cancers detected during routine skin Read More...
Vic parliament passes mental health bill
Date of Posting: 31-08-2022
An overhaul of Victoria's mental health system has been enshrined in law, delivering a key recommendation of the state's historic royal commission into the sector. The Mental Health and Wellbeing Bill is designed to support a system that i Read More...
Booster targeting Omicron strain approved
Date of Posting: 31-08-2022
Australia's medical regulators have given a green light for a COVID vaccine that will target the Omicron variant. The Therapeutic Goods Administration granted provisional approval to Moderna's bivalent COVID vaccine, the first of its type Read More...
Products linked to infertility ruled safe
Date of Posting: 31-08-2022
A common ingredient found in beauty products, which has been linked to infertility, is still being sold in Australia despite being banned in Europe. The fragrance known as Lilial or Butylphenyl methylpropional is found in popular hair care product Read More...
Prepare for more pandemics now
Date of Posting: 30-08-2022
Australia's leading scientific organisation has called for a boost to virus research and vaccine manufacturing capabilities in a bid to future-proof the country from pandemics. In a new report, the CSIRO outlined 20 recommendations for what Au Read More...
Tea drinkers enjoy health benefits
Date of Posting: 30-08-2022
A cup of tea just got a bit more relaxing. Tea can be part of a healthy diet and people who drink tea may even be a little more likely to live longer than those who don't, according to a large study.[subscribe] Tea contains helpful substanc Read More...
Peak bodies pan free uni for Vic nurses
Date of Posting: 30-08-2022
Free university degrees for budding nurses in Victoria could exacerbate nationwide aged care and private hospital workforce shortages and pit states against each other, peak bodies warn. The Australian Private Hospitals Association (APHA) and Aust Read More...
Businesses back lowering COVID isolation
Date of Posting: 29-08-2022
The peak body for small businesses has backed a proposal to lower the isolation requirements for people who have tested positive for COVID. Wednesday's national cabinet meeting between the prime minister and state and territory leaders is set Read More...
Playing instrument linked to sharper mind
Date of Posting: 29-08-2022
Researchers have found a link between children and teenagers who take up a musical instrument and improved thinking skills in old age. People with more experience of playing a musical instrument showed greater lifetime improvement on a test of cog Read More...
Two in three back junk food ad ban
Date of Posting: 29-08-2022
Two in three Australians support a ban on junk food ads during children's viewing hours, a survey indicates. One of Canberra's newest additions is using the survey to push for a ban and hopes to introduce a bill in parliament next year.[su Read More...
Free uni degrees for Vic nurses, midwives
Date of Posting: 28-08-2022
More than 10,000 budding nurses and midwives will have their university degrees paid off in full to boost staffing across Victoria's ailing health system. Thousands of nurses and midwives will be recruited and trained for free as part of a $27 Read More...
Vaccine boss unsure about annual boosters
Date of Posting: 28-08-2022
The boss of pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca is unsure whether annual COVID-19 boosters for otherwise healthy people are a good use of resources or money. A new booster jab will be offered to everyone in the UK aged 50 and over from next month, as Read More...
Olivia campaigned for cannabis to the end
Date of Posting: 28-08-2022
Right up until her death, Olivia Newton-John was lobbying for increased access to the drug she swore by. The actress, singer and cancer campaigner, who died earlier this month aged 73, grew cannabis on her ranch and used it to help alleviate her o Read More...
Kids capable of COVID self-testing
Date of Posting: 27-08-2022
School-aged children can test themselves for COVID-19 with almost as much accuracy as healthcare workers. All it takes is some simple instructions, according to a US study, with participants aged between four and 14 given guidance through a video Read More...
Australia helps rid Vanuatu of trachoma
Date of Posting: 27-08-2022
Vanuatu has completely eradicated the blindness-causing disease trachoma, thanks to a mass simultaneous treatment by Australia's Fred Hollows Foundation across the island nation. It is the first Pacific country to do so, following funding from Read More...
Moderna sues Pfizer,BioNTech over vaccine
Date of Posting: 27-08-2022
Moderna is suing Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech for patent infringement in the development of the first COVID-19 vaccine approved in the United States, alleging they copied technology that Moderna developed years before the pandemic. The l Read More...
Good sleepers less likely to suffer stroke
Date of Posting: 26-08-2022
People who sleep well are less likely to suffer strokes, a new study suggests. Researchers say suboptimal sleep is linked to a heightened risk of heart disease and stroke.[subscribe] And nine in 10 people do not usually get a good night's s Read More...
Pandemic anxiety could drain $7b from NSW
Date of Posting: 26-08-2022
Rising rates of anxiety and depression caused by COVID-19 lockdowns could sap up to $7.4 billion from the NSW economy by 2025, a report suggests. The costing comes as an estimated 171,615 more people in NSW reported mental health issues consistent Read More...
COVID pill 'no benefit to younger adults'
Date of Posting: 26-08-2022
Pfizer's COVID-19 pill appears to provide little or no benefit for younger adults, while still reducing the risk of hospitalisation and death for high-risk older users, a study has found. In a 109,000-patient study in Israel, researchers found Read More...
Early-warning tech success in CSIRO study
Date of Posting: 25-08-2022
CSIRO scientists have led a study to develop a machine learning tool that gives medical professionals early warning of a patient's deteriorating condition. The study was done in collaboration with Brisbane's Princess Alexandra Hospital and Read More...
Money struggles link to poor mental health
Date of Posting: 25-08-2022
Australians grappling with financial challenges are at least twice as likely to face mental health issues than others, research suggests. The findings support anecdotal evidence money struggles can lead to stress, diagnosable mental health conditi Read More...
Over-testing for Vitamin D costs $87m
Date of Posting: 25-08-2022
Unnecessary testing for levels of vitamin D is costing Australia's healthcare system about $87 million a year and contributing to the sector's carbon footprint, according to Australian researchers. The researchers found in 2020, more than Read More...
Vic coalition vows regional cancer centre
Date of Posting: 24-08-2022
A new cancer centre and health worker training school would be built in regional Victoria under another health-related election pledge by the state opposition. The Victorian Liberals and Nationals on Tuesday vowed to spend $100 million on developi Read More...
Caesarean birth adds cardiovascular risk
Date of Posting: 24-08-2022
Australian children born via caesarean section have a greater risk of developing cardiovascular disease and are more likely to be overweight or obese, according to a new study. The proportion of C-section births has risen from 18.5 per cent in 199 Read More...
Smoking ban expands across Melbourne
Last Updated: 24-08-2022
Smoking and vaping will soon be banned across more of Melbourne's CBD. Melbourne City Council is investigating how to extend smoke-free zones across train station entrances and council-owned buildings.[subscribe] The ban is currently in pla Read More...
Women hit harder than men during pandemic
Date of Posting: 23-08-2022
Queensland research has exposed the gender reality of COVID - finding that Australian women have been hit harder by the pandemic than men. While more men have died from the virus, women suffered more in terms of overall financial and mental well-b Read More...
UK to pilot smaller doses of monkeypox jab
Date of Posting: 23-08-2022
The United Kingdom is following the United States and European Union in making the most of limited supply of the monkeypox vaccine by administering smaller doses of the shot, health officials say. Three National Health Service sites are set to beg Read More...
Kidney replacement therapy on the rise
Date of Posting: 23-08-2022
The number of Australians receiving kidney replacement therapy has more than doubled over the past two decades, new data shows. Kidney replacement therapy numbers jumped from 11,700 to 27,700 from 2000 to 2020, showing chronic kidney disease (CKD) Read More...
NSW reports local case of monkeypox
Date of Posting: 22-08-2022
A NSW resident has been infected with monkeypox in their home state. The majority of cases so far have been acquired overseas but the new transmission has prompted a warning from state health authorities.[subscribe] NSW Health executive directo Read More...
NT Health issues highest alert after fire
Last Updated: 22-08-2022
The Northern Territory is under its highest level health alert after a warehouse fire has potentially destroyed crucial hospital supplies. A "code brown" has been issued for the next 24 to 48 hours, sparking a system wide response.[subsc Read More...
Emergency response boost for SA
Date of Posting: 22-08-2022
More emergency call takers and dispatchers have started work in South Australia in a move to ease pressure on the state's ambulance service. The government has employed 18 call takers and 10 additional dispatchers after a 14 per cent increase Read More...
Increased health risks working from home
Date of Posting: 21-08-2022
Australians embracing the post-pandemic trend of working from home could be at increased risk of injury, experts say. Workers using the kitchen table, the sofa or even the bed as a home office could be risking back problems and spinal injuries, ac Read More...
Concern over Vic health system pressure
Date of Posting: 21-08-2022
Victoria's health minister admits she was concerned after two vulnerable patients were forced to wait hours inside a makeshift tent outside the emergency department at a major hospital this week. Mary-Anne Thomas acknowledged the "discomf Read More...
World-first screening for cancer risk
Date of Posting: 21-08-2022
The lives of countless young Australians could be saved by a world-first DNA screening study which can detect increased risk of some cancers and heart disease. Melbourne's Monash University will lead a national screening program of at least 10 Read More...
5 Things to Understand About the Future of Mental Health Nursing in Australia
Last Updated: 21-08-2022
Some of Australia’s brightest mental healthcare providers recently gathered, along with a group of healthcare consumers and allied healthcare professionals, to investigate and discuss the future of mental health nursing in Australia and beyond. Read More...
Rising Vic monkeypox cases prompt warning
Date of Posting: 20-08-2022
A fresh monkeypox warning has been issued in Victoria as cases rise across the state. As of Saturday, 40 monkeypox infections have been reported in Victoria. That's up from 22 cases on August 4.[subscribe] Nationally, there have been 89 cas Read More...
Apps helped people stay fit amid pandemic
Date of Posting: 20-08-2022
Fitness trackers on mobiles helped people stay healthy amid pandemic lockdowns but the devices also added stress with information overload about COVID-19, a study has found. An article published in the latest issue of the journal PLOS Digital Heal Read More...
