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Local news
WEEK COMMENCING 6 JUNE 2009
SA's first swine flu hospital case
12 June 2009
A 60-year-old man is South Australia's first swine flu case to be admitted to hospital. He is one of 11 new cases confirmed yesterday, taking the state's toll from 16 to 27.
Cocaine use on the rise in Australia
12 June 2009
Seizures of cocaine, amphetamines and anabolic steroids are the highest on record while cocaine use continues to rise, the Australian Crime Commission reports. The number of arrests for amphetamine type stimulants (ATS) are currently "the highest on record", the ACC says in its latest report on illicit drug use, released yesterday.
Farewell to 'Dr Gorgeous', a giant of medicine
12 June 2009
To Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, [Chris O'Brien] was someone who "reached out beyond himself and fundamentally changed people's lives". To long-time best mate Dr Mark Malouf, he was a "man's man, a surgeon's surgeon … a solid friend to all those close to him, including patients".
Underage sex laws review due August
12 June 2009
The laws require children under 16 to be reported to authorities if they are engaged in sexual activity. A new working group of medical professionals and police will review the Northern Territory's mandatory reporting laws for underage sex.
Australia: emergency talks, flu pandemic declared
12 June 2009
Australia is considering raising its swine flu alert level after a global pandemic was declared, with the prime minister saying Asia-Pacific's worst-hit country faced "challenges" from the virus.
Just hours after the World Health Organization (WHO) announced the first pandemic in 40 years, Australian health officials went into emergency talks on moving from the "contain" to "sustain" alert phase.
Four times more people tipped to drop health cover: report
12 June 2009
Four times as many people as Treasury predicts may drop private health cover if the Government rebate is means-tested, a report from a leading economic consultancy has tipped. But the same firm, Access Economics, has also advised the Australian Medical Association (AMA) that not a huge number of people would drop their private cover at this stage.
Dwindling supplies means Tamiflu only for emergencies – Nicola Roxon
12 June 2009
Sick Ausssies will have to overcome swine flu without the help of Tamiflu because of thinning supplies, Health Minister Nicola Roxon said. As infectious patients struggle to gain the anti-viral drug at commercial pharmacies, Ms Roxon refused to open government stockpiles of the drug for those not deemed to be at high risk from the virus.
Chris O'Brien praised as an outstanding achiever
11 June 2009
Professor Chris O'Brien "fundamentally changed lives'' and left a lasting national legacy in fighting cancer, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd told mourners at the renowned surgeon's state funeral today.
Police need better mental illness training: AMA
11 June 2009
Police officers should be better trained to know the symptoms of severe mental illness, the Northern Territory branch of the Australian Medical Association says.
Taxpayers cheated as chemists pocket profits
11 June 2009
The nation's $10 billion drug subsidy scheme is so dysfunctional the sick are being slugged for medicines as chemists profit. A Daily Telegraph investigation has found the ill are paying as much as $13 more per script than they need to for about 200 commonly-used medicines.
Maternity units cut despite baby rush
11 June 2009
Australia is delivering record numbers of babies, despite losing a sixth of its public hospital maternity wards over the past decade. The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare data shows the bush suffered the steepest decline in maternity services, with medical workforce shortages and low volumes of births speeding closures.
Queensland Health forced into hospital rethink
11 June 2009
Queensland Health has been forced to review its plans for three major southeast Queensland hospitals after a damning report into the state's $6 billion building program.
World Health Organisation seeks answers on spread of swine flu
11 June 2009
The rapid spread of swine flu in Australia has concerned the World Health Organisation as it looks to declare the first global flu pandemic in 40 years.
Backlog boosts surgery waiting times: PM
10 June 2009
Longer elective surgery waiting times may have been caused by more people, previously discouraged by backlogs, joining the queue, the prime minister suggests.
WHO mulls raising swine flu alert level
10 June 2009
The National Pandemic Emergency Committee is preparing to meet on Friday, as the World Health Organisation (WHO) has shown concern about the rapid spread of swine flu in Australia.
Australian hospital statistics 2007-08
10 June 2009
Public hospital emergency department visits are increasing at a rate faster than other hospital services, according to the 14th annual report on hospitals released today by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW). There were more than 7 million presentations to emergency departments in 2007-08, with an average annual increase of close to 5% since 2003-04.
Elliott: $13.3 Million to Help People in NSW Remain Independent, in their Homes and in their Communities
10 June 2009
The Minister for Ageing, Mrs Justine Elliot, and the New South Wales Minister for Ageing and Disability Services, Mr Paul Lynch, today announced an extra $13.3 million for Home and Community Care (HACC) services in New South Wales.
AMA demands action on hospitals
10 June 2009
Doctors are sick of reports into the country's public hospitals and are calling for one level of government to take over the ailing system.
Roxon says be patient as patients wait longer
10 June 2009
The Federal Government says it's confident that the extra money it's invested in health is starting to turn things around. That's despite a report out today showing the median waiting time for elective surgery in 2007/2008 was 34 days, two days longer than the year before. But the Health Minister says she's waiting for another report due at the end of the month before deciding on the financial control of the nation's hospitals.
'Howard to blame' for hospital waiting lists
10 June 2009
Federal Health Minister Nicola Roxon says the previous government is to blame for an increase in waiting times for elective surgery at public hospitals. Two months after its election, the Rudd Government allocated $150 million to help cut elective surgery waiting lists.
Soldier a pioneer in health services
10 June 2009
Major-General Sir William Refshauge, who pioneered a raft of initiatives in Australian health and medical practice and in his military service, has died in Canberra, aged 96.
Health flips flu alert policy
10 June 2009
The NT Health Department has backflipped on its decision not to release specific information about swine flu, just as a seventh case was confirmed. And the Australian Medical Association (AMA) is urging the Department to give as much information to Territorians as possible "in the interests of public health".
WHO ponders pandemic after Australia spike
10 June 2009
The World Health Organisation (WHO) says a spike in swine flu cases in several countries, including Australia, may push it to finally declare a flu pandemic.
New govt health officials get set for changes
9 June 2009
Big changes to the health system are the impetus behind the appointment of a new Indigenous health minister to the government health portfolio, the Federal health minister Nicola Roxon has stated.
Swine flu: National case update
9 June 2009
The total of confirmed H1N1 Influenza 09 cases in Australia as at 1500 AEST has risen to 1,211. Overnight Queensland reported an additional five confirmed cases.
Govt denies records will be stored on Medicare card
9 June 2009
A spokeswoman for federal Health Minister Nicola Roxon has rejected suggestions the Government is planning to put people's health records on the Medicare card, blaming misunderstanding and confusion in media reports. Rather than patient records being loaded directly onto a computer chip embedded in each card, as indicated in news stories yesterday, the spokeswoman said Medicare cards would likely contain the unique personal identity numbers that give doctors and hospitals access to individual files stored centrally.
Can cancers be prevented?
28 May 2009
Why do some people get cancers and not others? Can some cancers be prevented as well as treated? If so, what mechanisms cause them and how can these be controlled? Seeking to better understand those questions, and find answers, medically-trained researcher Professor Adele Green and her team at the Queensland Institute of Medical Research investigated five cancers that pose serious, often fatal, health threats to Australians.
New portfolio to focus on closing the gap
8 June 2009
The new portfolio for Indigenous Health, Rural and Regional Health and Regional Services Delivery has brought the spotlight back on the Government's closing the gap Indigenous health policy. Prime Minister Kevin Rudd's weekend Cabinet shuffle saw the creation of the portfolio, which he has given to former Defence Science and Personnel Minister Warren Snowdon.
Govt developing all-purpose health card
8 June 2009
The government is considering developing a healthcare card that records medical histories but allows the cardholder to control who accesses the information.
New health lobbyists gain in strength
8 June 2009
The advertising industry is struggling to keep pace with a new breed of health lobbyists that have added their voices to parents' groups and nutritionists in support of advertising bans in recent years. Lobbyists such as Jane Martin, senior policy adviser for the Obesity Policy Coalition, are backed by well-respected health bodies with many years of experience in influencing public policy.
Govt urged on public hospital plan
8 June 2009
The Australian Medical Association (AMA) has called on the federal government to develop a contingency plan for public hospitals in case a large number of people drop their private health cover.
New data highlights urgency in bowel cancer screening
6 June 2009
Five million Australians missing out on test that could save their lives. New data on bowel cancer screening released today highlights the urgent need to fully implement screening for all Australians over 50, according to Cancer Council Australia.
Do not deliberately infect yourself, warns Roxon
6 June 2009
Federal Health Minister Nicola Roxon has warned people against holding or attending "swine flu parties". People in the United States have been deliberately getting infected, in the belief that catching the mild form of swine flu could offer some immunity in case the virus later mutates into a deadlier form.
Chemo dose computer still not in use
6 June 2009
The hospital at the centre of a chemotherapy overdose bungle is not using a computer program designed to prevent the problem happening again. This is despite the Women's and Children's Hospital buying the software last November after 11 of its patients were given overdosed treatments between 2005 and 2008.
Health Care and Legal Experts Explore “The Power of Apology in Health Care” in Upcoming Symposium
4 June 2009
Ausmed Conferences will host a two-day symposium on "The Power of Apology in Health Care" beginning July 20. The symposium will welcome nurses and other health care professionals committed to quality care for an in-depth exploration of their role in responsibly addressing and resolving patient concerns or dissatisfaction, and mitigating legitimate complaints made by patients and their family members.
International news
US: Five questions on the job market for nurses
11 June 2009
For years we have seen statistics telling us that there will be a shortage of nurses in the next decade. But with the downturn in the economy, we've had local hospitals freeze hiring and lay off workers. Has the job outlook for nurses changed in the last year?
Swine flu nations briefed in preparation for WHO pandemic call
11 June 2009
The WHO will declare the first flu pandemic in 41 years sometime in the next 10 days, three people familiar with its plans said June 2. Margaret Chan, the agency’s director-general, is trying to navigate a delicate path between raising alarm about a virus that in most cases causes little more than a fever and a cough, and underestimating a bug that could kill millions.
Cancer screening fear is fueled by lack of information says review covering nearly 6,000 women
11 June 2009
Fear plays a major role in whether women decide to go for cancer screening or not, but healthcare providers underestimate how much women need to know and wrongly assume that they will ask for information if they want it. Those are the two key findings from a study published in the June issue of the UK-based Journal of Advanced Nursing.
US: Fixing health care starts with the doctors
10 June 2009
It's the doctors, stupid. If we really want to fix America's overpriced and under-performing health-care system, what really matters is changing the ways doctors practice medicine, individually and collectively. Everything else -- mandate or no mandate, the tax treatment of health benefits, whether there's a "public plan" to compete against private health insurers -- is just tinkering at the margin.
Canada getting out of isotope game, Harper says
10 June 2009
Canada is getting out of medical isotope production, Prime Minister Stephen Harper said Wednesday as the world struggles with the shutdown of an aging Canadian reactor that makes a big chunk of the global supply.
US: Nursing shortage addressed in plan
10 June 2009
Thousands of would-be nurses are turned away from nursing programs at Binghamton University and Broome Community College each year because of a lack of teachers and space.
Canada: Small hospitals run out of isotopes this week
10 June 2009
Smaller hospitals across the country will run out of medical isotopes this week, leaving many cancer and heart patients scrambling to find alternatives. The sobering news comes amid demands that Natural Resources Minister Lisa Raitt resign for calling the isotope shortage a "sexy" issue.
US: Fast food blamed for bowel cancer rise
9 June 2009
People under 50 are experiencing an alarming rise in bowel cancer, and a diet of too much meat and fast food may be to blame, cancer experts in the United States say.
US: Capella University introduces online Master of Science in Nursing
5 June 2009
Capella University (www.capella.edu), an accredited* online university that has built its reputation by providing quality education for adults, announced a new Master of Science in Nursing online degree program. The program has two specializations, Nurse Educator and Nurse Educator Bridge. Both were developed to help address the growing need for nurse educators.
Canada: Health crisis mounts for heart and cancer tests
8 June 2009
With lawyers in court seeking to suppress media reports of alleged cabinet infighting over their incompetent handling of the Chalk River health crisis, Canadian hospitals are signalling a mounting inability to provide critical heart and cancer tests to patients, Liberal Health Critic Carolyn Bennett said today. Reports are flooding in from across the country about the mounting health crisis.
ChemGenex says leukemia drug kills cancer stem cells in study
8 June 2009
ChemGenex Pharmaceuticals Ltd., an Australian drugmaker, said its experimental leukemia drug killed stem cells that cause the disease in laboratory experiments, suggesting it could be used to help cure some patients.
US: State bill seeks to give more independence to nurse practitioners
8 June 2009
More nurse practitioners might open independent primary care practices — which could help fill health care gaps left by doctor shortages and provide care at lower costs — if a proposed state licensing change is approved. On the other side, a powerful doctors' lobby opposes the change, saying the current requirement for each nurse practitioner to have a collaborative agreement with a physician is important for patient safety.
Medicine decries nurse doctorate exam being touted as equal to physician testing
8 June 2009
Physician leaders say a new doctor of nursing practice certification exam is being wrongly compared with testing that physicians take. And they fear that patients may be misled into believing nurses who pass the exam share the same qualifications as physicians.
US: Swine flue may be scary, but 250 times as many die from regular flu
7 June 2009
Swine flu has killed eight people in New York this year, sparking panic in schools, fear in hospitals and unease on the subways. Yet that's a tiny fraction of the up to 2,000 New Yorkers who die every year from seasonal flu – with barely a public murmur.
Malaysia: Nursing the world with a degree
7 June 2009
It's a never ending demand for nurses and Malaysian hospitals are finding it difficult to fill all nursing positions as reflected in the nurse-patient ratio. The World Health Organisation's (WHO) ideal ratio is 1:200 but in Malaysia, it is 1:645. Public health planners have estimated that an estimated 175,000 nurses must be trained by 2020 to meet the nation's demand.
US: PA nursing homes must report healthcare associated infections
6 June 2009
Nursing homes in eastern Pennsylvania must now report the secondary infections that patients acquire when they’re treated for other conditions. The Pennsylvania Patient Safety Authority will collect and analyze the data on healthcare-associated infections.
US: D-Day nurse remembers: ‘That was a rough time’
6 June 06, 2009
Mary Lear didn’t hit the beaches of Normandy on D-Day, but she saw firsthand the suffering caused by one of the pivotal battles of World War II.
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