News Articles
'To be blunt, it's cruel': legal weed could reduce harm
Date of Posting: 21-02-2024
Arguments for keeping cannabis illegal are smoke and mirrors with the legal system under strain from small personal possession offences that don't align with health benefits, one lawyer argues. Parliamentarians got into the weeds of Greens sen Read More...
Oral bacteria transplants may revolutionise dentistry
Date of Posting: 21-02-2024
Transplanting bacteria from the mouths of donors with healthy teeth through toothpaste or gel could be the next leap forward in treating tooth decay. The oral microbiome - the collection of bacteria that naturally occupies the human mouth - contai Read More...
More must be done to reduce birth trauma, says former midwife.
Date of Posting: 21-02-2024
Around one in three women are experiencing birth trauma, according to Integrative Birth Therapist, Emma Sneglar, who left the midwifery profession to support women whose mental health has been impacted by traumatic birth experiences. “I left Read More...
Midwifery calls for increased focus on continuity of care.
Date of Posting: 21-02-2024
The Australian College of Midwives (ACM) is urging the Government to prioritise the midwifery workforce, claiming the industry, if well supported, would contribute to improving long term health outcomes including chronic disease. In its pre- Read More...
Health procedures risk safety of patients, inquiry told
Date of Posting: 20-02-2024
Nurses working in hospitals across NSW are struggling with inconsistent equipment, inadequate supply procedures and cumbersome approval processes that jeopardise the safety of their patients, an inquiry has been told. Practitioners working for dif Read More...
Gonorrhoea spike prompts plea for regular testing
Date of Posting: 20-02-2024
Gonorrhoea is going around Gippsland at such a rate health authorities are pleading for people to get tested. Notifications of the infection in Gippsland, in Victoria's east, jumped almost 20 per cent in 2023, according to the Gippsland Region Read More...
New midwifery birth centre is being built
Date of Posting: 19-02-2024
Bentley Hospital in Western Australia is the first public health service to offer a new Midwifery Birth Centre that is based on a contemporary model of care. The build is underway and is expected to open during the second half of 2024. The centre Read More...
Anxiety and irritability linked to faster heart ageing
Date of Posting: 19-02-2024
Personality traits such as anxiety and irritability have been linked with early signs of heart ageing. Experts said the findings of a UK study show people at risk of developing mental health conditions could benefit from more support in an attempt Read More...
Embark on a fulfilling journey as a midwife with the Rural Locum Assistance Program
Last Updated: 19-02-2024
Have you ever dreamed of making a meaningful impact on healthcare while immersing yourself in the heart of Rural Australia? Now you can with the Rural Locum Assistance Program (Rural LAP). Picture this: you can travel to some of Australia’s Read More...
Dull and dumb? Fog clears on smokers' stereotype
Date of Posting: 19-02-2024
Quit-smoking material needs to better reflect Australia's 2.5 million daily smokers, who aren't the jobless and dumb some would have them portrayed as, researchers say. A first-of-its-kind national study released on Monday paints a clearer Read More...
Mental health patients 'pushed through', inquiry told
Date of Posting: 15-02-2024
Funding arrangements are creating perverse incentives for health practitioners to spend less time with patients in need of mental health services. Per-patient Medicare gap payments encouraged managers to push general practitioners towards shorter Read More...
Syphilis cases surge, spark government intervention
Date of Posting: 14-02-2024
Syphilis cases are surging across Queensland with a 25 per cent rise in the last year alone, prompting the state government to intervene. Health Minister Shannon Fentiman has announced a five-year action plan backed by an initial funding boost of Read More...
Health technology cracks code for patients and profits
Date of Posting: 14-02-2024
Health technology breakthroughs are bringing more jobs, a more advanced health system and better outcomes for patients, according to Assistant Minister for Health Ged Kearney. Some 56 new full-time jobs have been created for every $1 million of to Read More...
'Stop swimming after diarrhoea' amid gastro spurt
Date of Posting: 14-02-2024
An outbreak of a diarrhoeal disease associated with swimming has parents in three states being warned to keep kids out of pools and water parks when ill. More than 1500 cases of cryptosporidiosis have been diagnosed in Queensland, NSW and Victoria Read More...
'Dire' mental health care in flood-ravaged communities
Date of Posting: 13-02-2024
Regions left traumatised by repeat disasters are facing a shortage of mental health workers while existing staff face burnout, an inquiry has been told. A NSW parliamentary inquiry is examining the equity and accessibility of outpatient community Read More...
Cambodia reports new bird flu case after boy's death
Date of Posting: 13-02-2024
The brother of a boy who died last week from bird flu has tested positive for the virus, Cambodia's Health Ministry has said. The 9-year-old's death in the northeastern province of Kratie was the first from bird flu in Cambodia this year, Read More...
Psychological distress jumps in young people
Date of Posting: 12-02-2024
A jump in psychological distress and loneliness among young people during the pandemic reflects a 20-year trend while inequality is lower than before 2020. That's according to the latest Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia repor Read More...
School bus measles warning after virus case in NSW
Date of Posting: 12-02-2024
Schoolchildren in the Northern Rivers area of NSW may have been exposed to measles after a person with the virus recently returned from Asia. NSW Health is warning people in the state's north to be on alert for symptoms.[subscribe] The depa Read More...
Suspected carbon monoxide poisoning at ice rink
Date of Posting: 12-02-2024
Several ice hockey players and spectators have been treated in hospital after suffering suspected carbon monoxide poisoning. A group of 16 people between the ages of 17 and 40 attended Royal Adelaide Hospital in the early hours of Sunday morning a Read More...
Treatment options wider if prostate cancer found early
Date of Posting: 11-02-2024
Frank Dann was a few days out from celebrating his 65th birthday when he was hit with a huge health shock. The Melbourne resident was diagnosed with prostate cancer after a series of medical tests prompted by his GP, but the news still came as a s Read More...
Flying doctor spreads its wings to primary health care
Date of Posting: 11-02-2024
The scent of jet fuel hangs heavy in the air as weary doctors, psychiatrists and a physio all pile out of a small plane. They stretch while setting foot on the Broken Hill tarmac, several hours since going out bush to be run ragged at fly-in, fly- Read More...
Nurses take pay battle to Fair Work Commission
Date of Posting: 11-02-2024
Nurses are appealing to the industrial umpire for a 35 per cent pay increase and say they have long been undervalued because most are women. The Australian Nursing and Midwifery Foundation (ANMF) filed a claim with the Fair Work Commission seeking Read More...
Investigation launched into Launceston hospital deaths
Last Updated: 08-02-2024
Tasmania's health department is investigating claims a former top doctor at a state hospital falsified certificates and did not report deaths to the coroner as required. The allegations were aired during a parliamentary inquiry into ambulance Read More...
Rio declares a dengue emergency days ahead of Carnival
Date of Posting: 08-02-2024
Rio de Janeiro has declared a public health emergency because of an outbreak of mosquito-borne dengue fever just days before Carnival celebrations kick off across Brazil. The outbreak wasn't expected to derail Carnival, which officially starts Read More...
New clinical trial of benefits of immersion therapy
Date of Posting: 08-02-2024
A two-year randomised clinical trial of the benefits of immersion therapy for patients with brain and spinal injuries has started at the University of South Australia. Immersion therapy, which allows patients to experience freedom of movement in a Read More...
GPs in last-ditch bid to avoid tax and $15 fee hike
Date of Posting: 07-02-2024
Crunch talks are under way as doctors face a four-month deadline before a fresh tax hit kicks in and potentially adds an extra $15 to the bill for NSW patients' GP visits. Doctors across the country's most populous state could be forced to Read More...
Vape market worth up to $500 million in Victoria
Date of Posting: 07-02-2024
Victoria's e-cigarette market could be worth up to $500 million and almost half a million people vape. That's according to analysis by the state's parliamentary budget office, released amid an ongoing violent conflict between organised Read More...
Hospital head 'falsified death certificates'
Date of Posting: 07-02-2024
A top doctor at a Tasmanian hospital falsified the cause of death on patient records, including one reason that defied common sense, an inquiry has been told. The Launceston General Hospital also allegedly operated outside of its own protocols dur Read More...
Plantar Fascitis cases spike post Covid, say physios
Date of Posting: 06-02-2024
The aftermath of Covid has seen increased rates of plantar fasciitis, says foot and ankle physiotherapist, Andrew Wynd. “We have seen a great increase in heel pain presenting in the clinic, and we suspect this is for a few reasons,” ex Read More...
New mRNA cancer vaccine trialled in Britain
Date of Posting: 05-02-2024
A new mRNA cancer vaccine made by pharmaceutical firm Moderna is being trialled in British patients. The mRNA technology - which was adapted to make COVID-19 jabs - works by helping the body recognise and fight cancer cells.[subscribe] Experts Read More...
Doctors urge caution as temperatures soar in the east
Date of Posting: 04-02-2024
Doctors are encouraging Australians to be alert to the signs of heat-related illness this weekend as searing temperatures are forecast for a large part of the nation. Parts of the ACT, NSW, South Australia and Victoria will experience the 40C temp Read More...
Caution over psychedelic meds in new approach to trauma
Date of Posting: 04-02-2024
MDMA may be known as the "party" drug ecstasy and magic mushrooms associated with hippies, but the psychedelic substances now offer hope to Australians living with severe mental illness. Melbourne psychiatrist Eli Kotler is among a handf Read More...
German government set to legalise cannabis on April 1
Date of Posting: 04-02-2024
Germany plans to legalise cannabis as of April after lengthy wrangling between the governing parties over the final details and health protections. "The law can thus come into force on April 1," deputy parliamentary group leaders Dagmar Read More...
Top 8 Reasons to Pursue a Degree in Mental Health
Date of Posting: 02-02-2024
Curiosity about the human mind and a desire to make a positive impact hook you in? A degree in mental health might just be your calling! Mental health professionals are the unsung heroes, tirelessly working to enhance people's emotional, psycholo Read More...
Australia's COVID-19 response 'worst ever failing'
Date of Posting: 01-02-2024
Australia's COVID-19 pandemic response has been slammed as the "worst ever public health failing" as doctors call for a royal commission into the nation's handling of the crisis. Labor went into the 2022 election promising a roya Read More...
Hospital waits balloon, GP visits down as costs bite
Date of Posting: 01-02-2024
Sick and injured Australians are putting off seeing their local doctors and languishing in emergency departments as they struggle with medical costs. Data released by the Productivity Commission reveals almost half all 2022/23 emergency department Read More...
'Clock stoppers': mobile paramedics model under review
Date of Posting: 01-02-2024
Victoria's mobile ambulance service is set for a shake-up following the death of a regionally based paramedic and dispatch concerns. A new operating model for Mobile Intensive Care Ambulances (MICA) is under consideration, Ambulance Victoria h Read More...
Local mpox case prompts call to get vaccinated
Date of Posting: 31-01-2024
Gay men and sex workers in Victoria are being encouraged to be alert for symptoms and get vaccinated after the state recorded its first locally acquired case of mpox in almost six months. The latest case has not been linked to international travel Read More...
'Scariest experience': ex-vaping youth front new push
Date of Posting: 30-01-2024
As Xavier Roper struggled to breathe in bed and his girlfriend ran for help, the perils of his short vape addiction finally hit home. The Year 12 student had picked up vaping nine months earlier, won over by messaging they were mere flavourful wat Read More...
Three hospitalised after taking MDMA spiked with opioid
Date of Posting: 30-01-2024
Three people were hospitalised in Sydney after taking tablets they believed to be MDMA but that actually contained a potent opioid. Health authorities in NSW have issued an urgent warning about the tablets, which are orange or red and rectangular, Read More...
