News from nursing.aust | Current News | Nursing.Aust | Library News | College Archives | Media Releases | College Home

News

WEEK COMMENCING 19 JUNE 2010

E-health records closer to reality

25 June 2010: Every Australian will be given an individual healthcare identification number from next week after the federal parliament passed legislation giving the scheme the green light. The automatically assigned 16-digit identifiers will store a patient's name, address and date of birth only.

Four-hour vow on treatment 'meaningless'

25 June 2010: The federal plan to ensure patients are seen by hospital emergency departments within four hours has been attacked as "meaningless". Consumers Health Forum executive director Carol Bennett said the four-hour target was rendered "meaningless" by the government's small print. "It was always going to be a challenge to meet the four-hour target . . . I'm disappointed about that (GP referral restriction) being applied in metropolitan areas."

Queensland leads the way in C-sections

25 June 2010: Queensland has the highest rate of caesarean-section births in Australia, with one in three mums now giving birth in this way, a new health report shows. Australia's Health 2010 highlights a dramatic rise in the proportion of women having caesarean sections, from a national average of 21.1 per cent in 1998 to 30.9 per cent in 2007.

Middle-aged swingers lead way on infections

25 June 2010: Middle-aged swingers are putting themselves and others at risk of infection, researchers say. A study of sexually adventurous couples in The Netherlands found those aged over 45 could have a higher chance of common sexually transmitted infections than other at-risk groups, such as twentysomethings or gay men.

Roxon: Healthcare Identifiers passed by Parliament

24 June 2010: Legislation to set up the Healthcare Identifiers Service was passed by federal Parliament today. All patients will get individual healthcare identifiers (IHIs) under the Healthcare Identifiers Act. This will boost safety and quality for patients and cut waste and duplication.

Swipe at 'genome hype', 10 years on

24 June 2010: A decade after scientists cracked the human genetic code, biology has been transformed but the promise of a revolution in medicine is unfulfilled. In fact, a poll of more than 1000 international life scientists reported overnight in the journal Nature found most researchers think the advent of so-called personalised medicine is decades away. And 5 per cent don't expect it in their lifetime.

Remote health service delivery reforms 'ignored'

24 June 2010: A remote health expert has expressed disappointment that a key recommendation on Aboriginal health has been ignored. Sabina Knight, an associate professor in remote health practice, said there was an urgent need to reform health service delivery to people living in the most isolated areas of Australia.

We're living longer, but getting fat

24 June 2010: Australians are closer to the top of the world's life expectancy league as death rates from a range of diseases continue to drop. The latest report on the health system and the nation's nearly 22 million citizens shows the country is now No 3 globally for life expectancy, with males born today likely to live to 79 years on average and females to 83.7 years, the same as two years ago.

Damning report on health system

24 June 2010: Australia has been ranked joint last with the US in how easily citizens can get timely healthcare. Australia also performs poorly for safety and equity. In a seven-nation comparison of advanced countries' health systems, Australia ranked third out of seven overall, and came top in just one measure – the ability of its citizens to lead long, healthy and productive lives.

Cancer spike worries Roxon

24 June 2010: Health Minister Nicola Roxon admits a 10 per cent spike in the number of cancer cases in Australia is a worrying trend. The latest biennial snapshot of the nation's health, released on Wednesday, shows the number of cancer cases will rise to 115,000 this year.

Julia Gillard has what it takes to win election 2010 – Australian Nursing Federation

24 Jun 2010: The Australian Nursing Federation congratulates Julia Gillard on becoming the first Australian female Prime Minister. ANF Federal Secretary-elect, Lee Thomas said Ms Gillard is an accomplished individual who possesses the experience and determination to win the next election.

Health access 'lacking'

24 June 2010: Australia's health system rates third out of seven nations in overall performance but shares last place with the United States on access to affordable and timely care, an American study finds. It comes as Australia's own official health report shows that while Australia's performance on most health and mortality indicators occupies the top third of world rankings, it has gone backwards on one serious disease, diabetes, placing Australia's position in combating it near the bottom third.

Mental health's big challenge

24 June 2010: It is not hard to understand the frustration that impelled the respected mental health expert John Mendoza to quit as chairman of the federal government's advisory panel on mental health and give Kevin Rudd's team a blast as he did so. The field is clearly the neglected side of the health system, getting a trickle – about 6 per cent – of the total spend, devoted mostly to physical illness. Mental health gets only 2 per cent of the $7.3 billion recently committed in the Prime Minister's health initiative.

‘No reason’ for snub

24 June 2010: While Federal Health Minister Nicola Roxon believes reducing cancer death rates in rural areas is a priority, those involved in the bid to fund a Border regional cancer centre say they are still to hear a satisfactory explanation as to why their region has missed out.

Roxon: Australia’s Health 2010

23 June 2010: Today the “bible” of Australian health statistics has been released by the Australian Institue of Health and Welfare. The 2010 edition of Australia’s Health is, like its predecessors, an invaluable compendium of statistics and analysis on the health of our nation. Copies of the report are available from www.aihw.gov.au/

Roxon: Boost for GPs to train the next generation

23 June 2010: Boosting GP services forms part of the Rudd Government’s ambitious agenda to build a better health and better hospital system for Australian families. The Rudd Government today provided a further boost to primary health care in Australia by providing a 20 per cent increase to the allowance payable to GPs who supervise doctors enrolled in general practice training.

UK: Call to test mums-to-be for smoking

24 June 2010: A British health watchdog wants all pregnant women to be subjected to breath tests to check whether they have been smoking. The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) proposed that midwives administer breath tests to expectant mothers during their first antenatal appointment to measure the level of carbon dioxide in the body. The results are intended to make pregnant women realise the harm smoking can do to their child.

US: Moldy homes a serious risk for severe asthma attacks in some

24 June 2010: Exposure to high levels of fungus may increase the risk of severe asthma attacks among people with certain chitinase gene variants, according to a study from Harvard Medical School, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute and Brigham and Women's Hospital. The research was published online on the American Thoracic Society's journal Web site ahead of the print edition of the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.

Study finds U.S. last in healthcare

24 June 2010: A study conducted by the non-profit group Commonwealth Fund found that out of seven developed countries in the world, the United States was ranked seventh (last) overall in health care, while Australia was third.

'Prejudice' undermines mental health care

23 June 2010: Jibes such as "nutter" and "psycho" remain in common usage in Australia, reflecting an inherent prejudice towards the mentally ill which may explain the federal government's failure to do more to meet huge unmet demand for mental health services, the Australian of the Year, Pat McGorry, says.

Doctors back Government-funded hospital

23 June 2010: The Australian Medical Association has welcomed the State Government's decision to fully fund the new children's hospital in Perth. The Government has revealed it will use a one-off $350 million payment from BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto to help fund construction of the new hospital.

WA declines to comment on health: Roxon

23 June 2010: Doubts have been cast on Western Australia's willingness to participate in federal Labor's broader health reforms, which began their journey through parliament on Wednesday.

On the front foot over cancer

23 June 2010: The federal government has highlighted measures to fight what it calls a ''worrying'' rise in cancer. The Health Minister, Nicola Roxon, has released – a day early – health statistics showing that 115,000 Australians are expected to be diagnosed with cancer this year – a 10 per cent rise on four years ago.

Dementia looms as a hidden plague

23 June 2010: Dementia rates are set to double within the next 20 years and more Australians are expected to get cancer in 2010, a report says.

Early menopause 'a heart risk'

23 June 2010: Women who have menopause early have more than twice the risk of cardiovascular trouble, heart attack and stroke later in life, new research released yesterday found. "It is important for women to know that early menopause is a potential risk factor for cardiovascular disease - the number one killer of American women," said lead author Melissa Wellons, of the University of Alabama, Birmingham, delivered at the Endocrine Society annual meeting in San Diego, California.

Comment: Can anyone rescue our basket-case hospitals?

22 June 2010: Prime Minister Kevin Rudd gave NSW $43 million of federal money to increase the amount of elective surgery it carried out in 2008 and a further $51 million in 2009 to buy equipment and buildings to boost its elective surgery. That money should have been enough to purchase 1000 extra hip replacements and 805 extra knee replacements. Instead, the state’s hospitals actually cut the number of operations performed by 2246.

Mental health concerns legitimate: Roxon

22 June 2010: A professor who resigned from the federal government's National Advisory Council on Mental Health has legitimate concerns, federal Health Minister Nicola Roxon says. Prof McGorry has also criticised the government for prolonging frustration within the mental health sector. Ms Roxon said she agreed with the mental health experts in some areas.

Stanhope: Government tables response to Assembly inquiry into Primary Health Care

22 June 2010: A report from the Assembly's Standing Committee on Health, Community and Social Services on access to primary health care confirms that the ACT Government's initiatives in the area of general practice are appropriate and well-targeted, ACT Minister for Health, Katy Gallagher said today.

7.30 Report: Roxon defends mental health record

22 June 2010: Health Minister Nicola Roxon defends the Government’s mental health record following the resignation of the chair of the Federal Government's National Advisory Council on Mental Health, John Mendoza.

Comment: The government promises, but our sons and daughters suffer

22 June 2010: The spotlight on mental health has intensified with the resignation of John Mendoza as chairman of Health Minister Nicola Roxon's advisory council on mental health. This courageous step reflects the enormous frustration and impotence felt by very many in the sector who held out great hope for reform when the Rudd government was elected almost three years ago. Barbara Hocking is executive director of SANE Australia.

Health cuts up for 'consultation'

22 June 2010: The federal government will pay thousands of dollars to bring 35 health workers to Canberra for a ''consultation'' session after their outcry over cuts to a mental health scheme. The social workers and occupational therapists have been offered return flights, hotel costs and a $283 ''sitting fee'' to attend the consultation meeting on Thursday, called by the Health Department to discuss changes after the budget decision to axe $58 million in Medicare payments for the health workers' mental health services.

Computers could cause deaths, warn doctors

22 June 2010: The Alfred hospital's computer system is so bad that its own doctors are warning it will inevitably lead to ''catastrophic, and perhaps fatal'' consequences for patients. A scathing letter from medical staff to The Alfred's management, obtained by The Age, warns that the hospital's electronic medical record system is a ''disaster'', with surgeons forced to compete with nursing staff and anaesthetists to access computer terminals.

Boy dies after being sent home by hospital

22 June 2010: Staff at Campbelltown Hospital twice told Grace Chiundiza to take her son home and give him painkillers after a crunching tackle during a school rugby game on Saturday afternoon. But by yesterday morning the 17-year-old, a gifted athlete from Zimbabwe, was dead.

Demand for action on mental health from experts

22 June 2010: About 70 mental health experts and organisations will this week deliver a letter to Kevin Rudd urging immediate improvements of the sector. The signatories – who include Australian of the Year Patrick McGorry, the Mental Health Council of Australia, Lifeline, the Australian Psychological Society and the Australian Medical Association – say the need for reform is urgent and action is needed much sooner than the government's timeframe.

Prisoners should have needle exchange

22 June 2010: Needle exchange programs should be introduced in Victoria's prisons to reduce the transmission of blood-borne viruses, the Australian Medical Association's Victorian president says.

7.30 Report: Mendoza scathing of 'mental health crisis'

21 June 2010: Kerry O'Brien speaks with John Mendoza following his resignation as chair of the Federal Government's National Advisory Council on Mental Health.

Top mental health adviser Mendoza resigns

21 June 2010: MARK COLVIN: The Federal Government’s approach to mental health is under attack in the wake of the resignation of the chairman of its National Advisory Council on the subject. The Government is claiming that professor John Mendoza resigned on the basis of scuttlebutt about a lack of funding. He says he went because the council no longer has the Government’s confidence. He accuses the Government of having no vision or commitment to mental health. I asked professor Mendoza what developments had made him angry enough to resign.

Report raises men's health issues

21 June 2010: Too many South Australian men drink too much, smoke too much, ignore symptoms of poor health and put off seeing their doctor, according to a new report. Health Minister John Hill said the SA Health report offered a valuable insight into men's health issues and the ways they use – or don't use – health services.

Rudd denies neglect of mental health

21 June 2010: Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has defended his record on mental health spending, following scathing comments from two of the sector's experts. Australian of the Year and clinician Patrick McGorry on Monday accused the federal government of allocating funding to issues less important than mental health.

Pregnant women baffled on booze

21 June 2010: Women are ignoring health guidelines and are confused about how much alcohol they can consume during pregnancy, a new study has found. Jennifer Powers, a statistician with the University of Newcastle, said national health guidelines on the consumption of alcohol for pregnant women had changed three times in the past two decades, leaving women confused.

Roxon: Comprehensive support for pregnancy, birth and baby just a phone call away

21 June 2010: The Rudd Government is providing more support for Australian women and their families with a new, expanded national 24 hour Pregnancy, Birth and Baby Helpline commencing on 1 July 2010.

US: Children with special needs are at increased risk for oral disease

21 June 2010: At the beginning of 2010, as many as 17 percent of children in the United States were reported as having special health care needs. Behavioral issues, developmental disorders, cognitive disorders, genetic disorders and systemic diseases may increase a child's risk of developing oral disease, according to an article published in the May/June 2010 issue of General Dentistry, the peer-reviewed clinical journal of the Academy of General Dentistry (AGD).

Outpatients wait four years: data

21 June 2010: Victorians are being forced to wait up to four years just to get an appointment to be treated as a hospital outpatient, health figures reveal.

Waiting list for surgery still long, despite $600m boost

21 June 2010: More than 2500 people nationwide had, in September last year, been waiting longer than two years for their elective surgery, despite a concerted push by the Rudd government to help the states tackle waiting lists.

Resignation creates health credibility crisis for Labor

21 June 2010: Labor stands accused of having no intention of finding extra funds for mental health, despite claims to the contrary. The government was last night battling a credibility crisis, following the resignation of its top mental health adviser who accused it of having "no vision or commitment" for the troubled sector.

PM's adviser quits citing lack of vision

20 June 20, 2010: Kevin Rudd's top mental health adviser has quit, accusing the government of a lack of vision and commitment to a problem that affects millions of Australians.

Mental health needs $5b boost: Greens

20 June 2010: The federal government needs to spend an extra $5 billion over five years on mental health, the Greens say.

The mental health story that won't go away

20 June 2010: The resignation of the chairman of the National Advisory Council on Mental Health, John Mendoza, demonstrates the gap that exists between rhetoric and reality when it comes to federal government funding of the nation's mental health services.

Mental health tops GetUp list

20 June 2010: Activist organisation GetUp will focus on mental health, asylum seekers and climate change at the federal election.

Primary care Vs primary health care: Who cares? (part 3)

20 June 2010 : Croakey has been hosting a discussion about the difference between primary care and primary health care, and why this matters. Now Denise Fry, who has longstanding experience in primary health care and health promotion, concludes the series by reminding us of some history, which appears to be in danger of being forgotten.

Salaries some $70,000 a year higher are making it easy for Australia to hire doctors and specialists who may never return to NZ

20 June 2010: Newly qualified specialist doctors are being poached by the Australian health system, where salaries are $70,000 a year higher. A new survey has found half of doctors in their last year of training as senior registrars, plan to go to Australia.

Children of a fertile revolution: IVF

19 June 2010: The leftover pituitary gonadotrophin for my use in in-vitro fertilisation patients was stored in an old shoebox in a laboratory at Royal Women's Hospital in Melbourne. The box sat to one side of the urinary control samples we used in our 24-hour assays of key hormones indicating the progress of an infertile woman's ovulatory cycle as well as our efforts to encourage successful ovulation. Author, John McBain, is head of Reproductive Services at Royal Women's Hospital and a director of Melbourne IVF. He was a member of the team responsible for the conception of Candice Reed.

States' push led to health funding cut

19 June 2010: A body meant to oversee hospital payments under the health reform plans is the fallout from compromises forced by the states. One of Australia's top policy experts, former secretary of the federal Health Department Andrew Podger, said news of the national funding authority's demise – which has triggered claims of a lack of transparency – reflected the body blow dealt by the states to the government's original vision at the Council of Australian Governments meeting in April.

Proposals to spend extra health funds

18 June 2010: The WA Health Minister Kim Hames has welcomed news the Federal Government is planning to extend $350 million of health funding to Western Australia. The Federal Health Minister Nicola Roxon says she will allocate the funding to the state's hospitals despite WA being the only state not to sign up to the national health reform package.

Abbott confirms 6-month maternity leave scheme

18 June 2010: Federal Opposition Leader Tony Abbott has confirmed his plan to bring in six months of maternity leave, paid at a woman's full pay, if he wins the election. The Government's scheme of 18 weeks of paid leave at the federal minimum wage will begin at the start of next year.

EU: Blood deficiencies are strong predictors of poor outcome

19 June 2010: For healthcare professionals diagnosing primary Sjögren's Syndrome (pSS, an autoimmune disorder in which immune cells attack and destroy moisture-producing glands), the incidence of blood based deficiencies is the strongest predictor of a poor outcome in patients according to the results of a study presented today at EULAR 2010, the Annual Congress of the European League Against Rheumatism in Rome, Italy. The study also showed that liver and lung involvement and non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) development were also related to an increased mortality in pSS patients.

HAITI: Pop-up container clinic boost health care in Haiti

18 June 2010: If empty shipping containers can be used to create foldout restaurants and pop-up hotel rooms, then why not pop-up health clinics? Better yet, why not ship those clinics to remote parts of the world where the care is needed most? That, in fact, is precisely the notion underlying Containers to Clinics (C2C), a Massachusetts-based nonprofit that is gearing up to open its first such clinic next month at Grace Children’s Hospital in Port-au-Prince, Haiti.