Street drugs to be tested for purity, harmful additives

Date of Posting: 08-04-2024

The first drug-checking program of its kind in NSW is set to begin with a pilot launching in Sydney's inner city. The project will run on one day each week for four months at the Medically Supervised Injecting Centre in Kings Cross, with drug Read More...

Regional ambulance mechanics go on 'historic' strike

Date of Posting: 08-04-2024

More than 700 regional Victorian ambulances will be without maintenance workers as they take "unprecedented" strike action after a breakdown in contract negotiations. About 23 fleet maintenance officers, responsible for servicing ambulan Read More...

Pregnant, young and ignored by a system meant to care

Date of Posting: 08-04-2024

A 19-year-old woman's fears about her pregnancy were dismissed with comments from midwives like "they just keep getting younger" in the weeks before she gave birth to a stillborn daughter. Larissa Palamara told the NSW parliamentary Read More...

Prostate cancer cases to double from 2020 to 2040

Date of Posting: 05-04-2024

Prostate cancer cases are expected to double worldwide between 2020 and 2040, new analysis suggests. The data suggests annual prostate cancer cases are projected to rise from 1.4 million in 2020 to 2.9 million in 2040.[subscribe] And annual dea Read More...

Refugee kids flourish with targeted health diagnoses

Date of Posting: 05-04-2024

Imam Hossain spent years in hiding as a political activist in Bangladesh but one of his biggest worries nowadays is affording medication for his son Ibrar's ADHD condition. Mr Hossain sought asylum in Australia in 2019 with his young family, a Read More...

Measles warning after second case in two weeks

Date of Posting: 05-04-2024

A second case of measles has been reported in quick succession with South Australian health authorities warning at-risk individuals to be on alert amid a potential wider outbreak. A 17-year-old boy from Adelaide is in a stable condition in hospita Read More...

From friends to folk music: how to keep a rural doctor

Date of Posting: 04-04-2024

A folk band, a soccer team, good surf and avoiding awkward conversations in the supermarket aisle are all things that help keep doctors in rural towns. The retention of GPs in country Australia has long been elusive, but research aiming to help ad Read More...

Sore backs and necks are being seen in Aussie school-aged children

Date of Posting: 04-04-2024

School kids in Australia are at risk of developing pre-arthritic postures. There has been an influx of children in Western Australia seeing physiotherapists for sore backs and necks, and physios have put it down to too much sitting and using screens. Read More...

How To Promote Well-being and Address Burnout as a Medical Student

Last Updated: 03-04-2024

Did you know Australia has 24 university medical schools accredited by the Australian Medical Council (AMC)? However, getting into and graduating from med school is no easy feat. In fact, Medical Deans reported about 3,701 graduates from medical s Read More...

Ray of light amid darkening health crisis

Date of Posting: 03-04-2024

One hospital's innovative solution to soaring demand and waiting times has raised hopes its success can be replicated across South Australia's ailing health system. The state is suffering from a hospital capacity crunch, punctuated by elec Read More...

Original Yellow Wiggle backs fresh defibrillator push

Date of Posting: 01-04-2024

The original Yellow Wiggle Greg Page and the Heart Foundation are behind a fresh push for more lifesaving devices in rural areas. Page's organisation Heart of the Nation has partnered with the foundation to advocate for greater access to autom Read More...

Deadly Heart Trek works with community to eliminate RHD

Date of Posting: 01-04-2024

There's nothing funny about this topic, yet these children are filled with laughter as they learn about 'cheeky' at a pop-up clinic in Alice Springs. The Deadly Heart Trek is visiting to check them for possible signs of acute rheumatic Read More...

Poland vetoes access to morning-after pill for over 15s

Date of Posting: 31-03-2024

Poland's President Andrzej Duda has vetoed a law that would have allowed over-the-counter access to the morning-after pill for girls and women ages 15 and above, his office said. Duda said he was concerned about the health of minors and heedin Read More...

One dead, another in ICU after drug overdose

Date of Posting: 31-03-2024

One woman has died and another is in a critical condition after drug overdoses on Queensland's Gold Coast. Emergency workers were called to an apartment in Surfers Paradise about 11pm on Friday after reports of people unconscious and not breat Read More...

Measles alert issued for western Sydney

Date of Posting: 31-03-2024

A measles alert has been issued after NSW Health was notified about a woman with the infectious disease in western Sydney. There is no ongoing risk to the public, but Western Sydney Local Health District public health unit acting director Conrad M Read More...

Overdue surgery list slashed but COVID hangover lingers

Date of Posting: 29-03-2024

Elective surgery lists have markedly improved for patients across NSW but doctors don't believe the progress can be sustained with people still waiting far longer than before the COVID-19 pandemic. The state government credits a surgical task Read More...

Omicron linked to more long COVID-19 cases

Date of Posting: 29-03-2024

The Omicron coronavirus variant could be causing more cases of long COVID than earlier versions of the disease, scientists say. A study of more than 11,000 Western Australians infected in 2022 found almost one in five continued to suffer symptoms Read More...

Health experts push for less junk in advertising

Date of Posting: 29-03-2024

The federal government should move to limit junk food advertising to put the health of children ahead of the profits of the industry, experts say. In a submission to the Department of Health and Aged Care, the Australian Medical Association said r Read More...

National centre to tackle gender inequity in medicine

Date of Posting: 28-03-2024

Challenging Australia's predominantly "male-centric approach to medical care" will be top of the agenda for a new national research centre that pledges to tackle gender inequity in medicine. From dismissing women's pain to unders Read More...

Alcohol intake among controllable dementia risk factors

Date of Posting: 28-03-2024

Diabetes, alcohol intake and traffic-related air pollution are among the most harmful controllable risk factors for dementia, a study suggests. The researchers had previously identified a weak spot in the brain which is a specific area that develo Read More...

Language Therapy: Building Stronger Communication Skills in Children

Last Updated: 28-03-2024

Speech disorders encompass challenges in producing sounds effectively, and they manifest in various ways. Fluency disorders involve disruptions in the flow of speech—consisting of excessive hesitations, repetitions or prolonged sounds. Individu Read More...

SA health system in bad shape as elective surgeries cut

Date of Posting: 27-03-2024

South Australians will have to wait until after Easter to access vital health treatments after elective surgeries were cancelled amid record ambulance ramping and a hospital bed crunch. SA Health on Tuesday afternoon announced urgent category two Read More...

Painful journey to endometriosis discovery for actress

Date of Posting: 27-03-2024

Christie Whelan Browne always had debilitating periods. But it took an ovarian cyst rupture at the age of 26 for doctors to finally diagnose the cause of her pain - endometriosis.[subscribe] "It literally took something bursting inside me Read More...

Hope after research breakthrough for psoriasis patients

Date of Posting: 27-03-2024

Half a million Australians affected by a debilitating skin and joint disease could be one step closer to a cure after a major scientific breakthrough. Researchers from the Australian National University have discovered a gene mutation is responsib Read More...

Vaccine mandates for NSW health workers reconsidered

Date of Posting: 25-03-2024

Vaccine mandates for NSW health workers could soon be dropped as the state government weighs up lifting the COVID-19 pandemic-era requirements. Health Minister Ryan Park confirmed the change would be considered after consulting with the state' Read More...

Australia to help Pacific neighbours fight tuberculosis

Date of Posting: 25-03-2024

Australia will help its Asian and Pacific neighbours fight tuberculosis to stop its spread and support peace and stability in the region. Roughly every 20 seconds, someone dies from tuberculosis, making it one of the deadliest diseases in the worl Read More...

Chronic fatigue support needs 'urgent' funds

Date of Posting: 25-03-2024

A national advocacy body for chronic fatigue sufferers has called on the federal government to urgently unlock research and funding into the condition, a year after a parliamentary committee recommended the moves. Emerge Australia CEO Anne Wilson Read More...

Millions in illicit tobacco seized by health officials

Date of Posting: 24-03-2024

Queensland health laws targeting illegal tobacco and vaping products have netted almost five million illicit cigarettes since their introduction last year. Greater enforcement powers for health authorities have also resulted in the seizure of more Read More...

Pathology training helping build up Pacific health care

Date of Posting: 24-03-2024

Patients being tested for cancer, infectious diseases and diabetes in Ilaisaane Fonohema's home country face long and anxious delays for their results. But as a desperately needed doctor in Tonga, she is determined to help change that.[subscri Read More...

Later retirement damaging to health, wellbeing

Date of Posting: 24-03-2024

Taking away people's autonomy as to when they retire and forcing them to work until 67 to qualify for a government pension could be doing damage to their health and wellbeing. With debate current about who should pay for Australia's aged c Read More...

New vaping laws include jail time, heavy fines

Date of Posting: 21-03-2024

Young Australians are being lured by big tobacco companies to take up vaping, doctors warned, as the federal government introduced new legislation with tough penalties to combat a growing national health crisis. Health Minister Mark Butler said th Read More...

Man awarded millions after hospital causes brain damage

Date of Posting: 21-03-2024

A man has been awarded more than $2 million in compensation after suffering a stroke and brain damage resulting from improper treatment at a Queensland hospital. The man, aged in his early 70s, worked as an illustrator for major advertising firms Read More...

UK to introduce bill to phase out smoking among young

Date of Posting: 20-03-2024

The British government will introduce a bill in parliament to fulfil its promise to phase out smoking among young people by banning tobacco sales for future generations. The Tobacco and Vapes Bill, if passed unamended on Wednesday, will be one of Read More...

New Zealand to ban disposable vapes, raise fines

Date of Posting: 20-03-2024

New Zealand will ban disposable vapes and raise fines for those providing young Kiwis with e-cigarettes in a move lauded by health advocates. Associate Health Minister Casey Costello announced on Wednesday the three-party coalition had agreed to p Read More...

Australia's health care system 'groaning at the seams

Date of Posting: 20-03-2024

Patients in regional and remote areas will soon receive easier access to care under a plan to unleash the full potential of the nation's nurses. Assistant Health Minister Ged Kearney introduced proposed laws to parliament on Wednesday, which w Read More...

Rural doctor banned after ignoring woman's cancer signs

Date of Posting: 19-03-2024

A country doctor has been banned from working after wrongly diagnosing a woman with glandular fever and anxiety weeks before she died of liver cancer and heart disease. The 71-year-old woman went to GP Kin Vui Tan in Lithgow, central western NSW, Read More...

Art therapy being implemented with dementia patients

Date of Posting: 18-03-2024

An aged care facility in Childers in Wide Bay, Queensland, has pioneered a unique approach to dementia care. They are using art therapy as a form of treatment for patients with dementia, and the results have been nothing short of promising, offering Read More...

'Not an easy sell': paramedics to ramp up pay dispute

Date of Posting: 18-03-2024

Victorian paramedics will scribble slogans on ambulances and not collect billing details from patients as their protracted pay dispute ramps up. The Victorian Ambulance Union will kick off industrial action from Monday morning after being unable t Read More...

Most Victorians want weed decriminalised

Date of Posting: 18-03-2024

The war on drugs should not go on against cannabis, according to a Victorian poll. More than half (54 per cent) of 1511 Victorians over 18 who took part in an online survey late last year were in favour of decriminalising cannabis and creating a r Read More...

Aussies losing more than just sweat in heatwaves

Date of Posting: 18-03-2024

Heatwaves are costing $1.6 billion annually in health, energy and productivity losses in Western Sydney and it will only get worse. That's the verdict of a new report on the region which will be home to 3.2 million people by 2036.[subscribe] Read More...