News Articles
Eating disorder service sees COVID surge
Date of Posting: 19-05-2022
The stress of COVID-19 has led to a surge in eating disorders in Victoria, with one support service experiencing a 300 per cent increase in demand through the pandemic. Eating Disorders Victoria saw the 300 per cent spike in calls to its helpline Read More...
Vic institute to tackle neglected diseases
Date of Posting: 19-05-2022
A Victorian medical research organisation will partner with Moderna to develop new vaccines for emerging and neglected infectious diseases. The Burnet Institute's work with Moderna's cutting-edge mRNA technology, which could lead to improv Read More...
Psychedelics could help with mental health
Date of Posting: 19-05-2022
Popping a party pill like MDMA could one day be prescribed as part of an effective mental health treatment plan. CSIRO researchers in Australia and international scientists are studying psychedelics, such as MDMA or psilocybin (derived from certai Read More...
Early detection of Alzheimer's possible
Date of Posting: 18-05-2022
University of Otago researchers have discovered molecules in the blood that could assist with early detection of Alzheimer’s disease. The research, published in the journal Alzheimer’s & Dementia, shows the level of small mol Read More...
One in five worked with COVID symptoms
Date of Posting: 18-05-2022
Around 20 per cent of Australians admit they risked working while having COVID-19 symptoms in order to make ends meet. The Australia Institute surveyed 1000 people nationwide in February, with 19 per cent admitting they left their homes "to t Read More...
Qld hospital report release 'within weeks'
Date of Posting: 18-05-2022
The Queensland government has promised to release hospital emergency department waiting time data and complete a probe into Mackay Hospital by the end of the month after the opposition raised doubts about both issues. Queensland's Liberal Nati Read More...
Perth to get drive-in RAT collection sites
Last Updated: 18-05-2022
Three drive-through sites for the collection of COVID-19 rapid antigen tests will open in Perth this week following the relaxation of rules for close contacts of confirmed virus cases. The drive-through sites will operate from Wednesday in Joondal Read More...
Rural university medical program slammed
Date of Posting: 18-05-2022
Asking teenage school leavers to commit to a career as a bush doctor is ridiculous, as rural medicine becomes more risky and complicated, a Tasmanian health inquiry has been told. Dr Ross Lamplugh, the head of Ochre Health, which runs medical cent Read More...
UK detects four more monkeypox cases
Date of Posting: 18-05-2022
Four more cases of rare viral monkeypox infection have been diagnosed in England, health authorities say, taking the total confirmed cases since May 6 to seven. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said investigations were underway to establish l Read More...
ADHD in adults is challenging but highly treatable
Last Updated: 17-05-2022
When I was a child in the 1980s, the people I knew with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder were hyperactive boys who went to the school nurse at lunchtime to get their medicine. Many people assumed that these boys would “grow out of&rd Read More...
Hospitals only note a person's intellectual disability 20% of the time
Last Updated: 17-05-2022
People with intellectual disability only have their disability noted by hospital staff in one in every five hospital admissions, our new study shows. Recognising someone has a disability is critical to their care. This finding helps explain Read More...
COVID sub-variants surge in South Africa
Date of Posting: 16-05-2022
South Africa is experiencing a surge of new COVID-19 cases driven by two omicron sub-variants, according to health experts. For about three weeks the country has seen increasing numbers of new cases and somewhat higher hospitalisations, but not in Read More...
Patient group wary of pain relief changes
Date of Posting: 16-05-2022
Encouraging doctors to deprescribe opiates may leave those without viable treatment alternatives in serious trouble, a leading patient advocate group says. New standards of care released last month by the Australian Commission on Safety and Qualit Read More...
Albanese promises health, Indigenous voice
Date of Posting: 16-05-2022
Labor leader Anthony Albanese has used a campaign trip to the Northern Territory to announce significant funding for Medicare and to reiterate his support for an Indigenous voice to parliament. Flanked by Labor's candidate for Lingiari, Marion Read More...
Vic children's hospital diverting patients
Date of Posting: 16-05-2022
Melbourne parents and carers have been asked to think twice about whether their children need to visit the emergency room, as the city's major children's hospital grapples with extreme demand. The Royal Children's Hospital was on Satur Read More...
Blood marker found for SIDS risk babies
Last Updated: 15-05-2022
A team of Australian researchers have identified a biochemical marker in the blood that could help identify newborn babies at risk for sudden infant death syndrome, a breakthrough they say creates an avenue to future tragedy-preventing interventions. Read More...
UK finds 176 kids with mystery hepatitis
Date of Posting: 14-05-2022
More than 170 children with sudden onset hepatitis have been identified in the United Kingdom. An update from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) showed an extra 13 cases, bringing the total number of cases in the UK to 176 as of May 10.[subscri Read More...
Underage drinkers put down the bottle
Date of Posting: 14-05-2022
In this social media age, where risky behaviour can be broadcast widely online, the number of Aussie teens drinking underage has dropped drastically. The number of young drinkers has plummeted by about 42 per cent between 2010 and 2021, according Read More...
No apps for death caps, mush lovers warned
Date of Posting: 14-05-2022
Relying on apps to distinguish between poisonous mushrooms and edible varieties could risk fatal consequences. As winter draws closer, cool and wet weather conditions are making it prime time for death caps and yellow-staining mushrooms to flouris Read More...
NSW flu cases rise ahead of winter
Date of Posting: 13-05-2022
Flu cases are spiking in NSW with several outbreaks in schools as winter approaches and COVID-19 lingers. NSW Chief Health Officer Kerry Chant said cases are rising quickly throughout the community, with outbreaks detected in boarding schools.[sub Read More...
'Compromised' system spurs Vic doc to quit
Date of Posting: 13-05-2022
A top Victorian doctor has quit his job in protest at mounting staff burnout and falling care standards after two torrid years of the COVID-19 pandemic. Outgoing Royal Australasian College of Physicians president John Wilson has departed Melbourne Read More...
Abortion rights bill fails in US Senate
Date of Posting: 13-05-2022
Legislation to make abortion legal throughout the United States has been defeated in the US Senate amid solid Republican opposition. Democrats had sought to head off an impending Supreme Court opinion that is expected to overturn the nearly 50-yea Read More...
Helping older Australians avoid the Emergency Department
Date of Posting: 12-05-2022
Improving the care of older Australians in a bid to help them avoid hospital emergency departments will be the focus a new project that federal Health Minister Greg Hunt says has been awarded funding from the Medical Research Future Fund. Led by F Read More...
Abortion is no longer a crime in Australia. So why is it still so hard to access?
Last Updated: 12-05-2022
A leak of draft court documents reveals Roe v. Wade – which has broadly guaranteed abortion rights in the United States since 1973 – may be overturned. The US decision may influence the rhetoric and lobbying techniques of Read More...
WA health system fears amid virus surge
Date of Posting: 12-05-2022
A surge in COVID-19 infections in Western Australia has prompted calls for the reintroduction of restrictions amid fears the state's health system "may get smashed". WA reported 17,033 new cases on Wednesday, easily the highest numbe Read More...
Qld kicks off health practitioner laws
Date of Posting: 12-05-2022
Health practitioners will be more closely scrutinised and those who pose a risk to community health and safety face new punishments under proposed Queensland laws, set to be replicated nationally. Health Minister Yvette D'Ath tabled the new la Read More...
NSW mental illness unit for new mothers
Date of Posting: 12-05-2022
New mothers with mental illness from around NSW will be able to keep their newborns with them while they get the care they need. The first public mother and baby mental health unit in NSW opened on Wednesday at Sydney's Royal Prince Alfred Hos Read More...
Hopes for 'variant-proof' COVID-19 vaccine
Date of Posting: 11-05-2022
Sydney University is leading an international consortium hoping to develop a 'variant-proof' COVID-19 vaccine. The consortium has a $US19.3 million ($A27.7 million) grant from The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations to develop Read More...
Ambulance 'error' before Tas man's death
Date of Posting: 11-05-2022
An elderly Tasmanian man who died from a head injury waited more than four hours at his home for an ambulance after being incorrectly triaged. Alan Maurice Gray, 77, who had mobility issues, fell while pumping up his tyres at a Hobart service stat Read More...
Mental health funds to grow in WA budget
Date of Posting: 11-05-2022
Thursday's economic blueprint will include an additional $181 million for new and expanded programs with total spending across the sector rising by 13 per cent. The new funds include $47.3 million to respond to recommendations of the Ministeri Read More...
Qld hospital capacity crisis impacts cops
Date of Posting: 11-05-2022
Emergency waiting times and ambulance ramping have been increasing in recent years in Queensland with the problems exacerbated by COVID-19. Queensland Police Union president Ian Leavers says officers escorting mental health patients to hospital ar Read More...
Why physios are investing in a Studio Pilates Franchise
Date of Posting: 10-05-2022
One of the things we love most about the Studio Pilates network is the diversity of our franchisees. From Pilates instructors who wanted to turn their passion into profits right through to corporate CEO’s who wanted to expand their investment p Read More...
Hip arthritis doesn't just affect older adults
Last Updated: 10-05-2022
Liam Gallagher recently revealed that he is suffering from arthritis, leaving him with excruciating pain and the realisation that he will probably need hip replacement surgery. Most people associate arthritis with old age, but Gallagher is just 49 Read More...
A burnt-out health workforce impacts patient care
Last Updated: 10-05-2022
Throughout the pandemic, we’ve heard much about health-care worker burnout. But what we haven’t heard much about is its effects on patients. Even before the pandemic, health workers were grappling with long hours, high wor Read More...
Abortion rights protesters rally around US
Date of Posting: 09-05-2022
Abortion rights protesters have rallied in cities around the United States, vowing to fight to ensure terminating a pregnancy remains a legal option for women nationwide. Hundreds gathered in Chicago, Atlanta, Houston and other cities days after a Read More...
Breast cancer research gets $12m in grants
Date of Posting: 09-05-2022
More than $12 million in grants for breast cancer research will help save lives and revolutionise screening and treatment in Australia, experts say. The National Breast Cancer Foundation (NBCF) has announced funding of nearly $12.4 million for 20 Read More...
Help hard to find amid mental health pinch
Date of Posting: 09-05-2022
As demand for mental health support surges during the pandemic, trainee psychologists are struggling to complete their qualifications, prompting many to drop out of their studies. The issue, which is exacerbating wait times for patients, is being Read More...
Free rapid COVID tests slip on ALP agenda
Date of Posting: 08-05-2022
Labor will reconsider its policy to provide free rapid COVID-19 tests for all Australians. The party had pushed for free RATs in January as the Omicron outbreak hit Australia's east coast.[subscribe] "Times have changed and what we wou Read More...
US CDC finds 109 cases of kids hepatitis
Date of Posting: 08-05-2022
US health officials say they are investigating 109 cases of severe hepatitis of unknown origin in children, including five reported deaths, updating a country-wide alert issued in April for doctors to be on the look-out for such cases of the liver di Read More...
Third Ebola patient dies in DR Congo
Date of Posting: 08-05-2022
The third Ebola patient in northwest Democratic Republic of Congo has died, the World Health Organisation says, the latest fatality in an outbreak first reported last month. The 48-year-old man was the most recent confirmed case in the country' Read More...
