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

News

WEEK COMMENCING 17 JULY 2010

Health watchdogs sound alarm over TB/HIV deaths

23 July 2010: Two global health agencies joined forces on Thursday in a campaign aimed at averting 200,000 deaths each year by co-infection from tuberculosis and the AIDS virus. "Every three minutes a person living with HIV has his or her life cut off prematurely by TB," said Jorge Sampaio, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's special envoy on stopping tuberculosis. "This is completely unacceptable. TB is a preventable and curable disease."

Children's mental health being ignored

22 July 2010: A coalition of mental health advocates is calling for greater funding for services for children, as a national debate into overall support for people with mental illnesses continues. Convenor of the Children's Mental Health Coalition Professor Louise Newman said on Thursday there should be a greater funding for early intervention programs for children aged up to 12 years.

Tebbutt defends govt record on health

22 July 2010: NSW Health Minister Carmel Tebbutt has defended the state government's health record but has told NSW nurses that more can always be done. Ms Tebbutt addressed almost 400 delegates at the annual nurses conference in Sydney on Thursday, saying the state government had worked hard to increase nurse numbers and wages.

Health reform plan losing state support: AMA

22 July 2010: The Australian Medical Association (AMA) says a key part of the Federal Government's health plan has lost the support of some states. Under former prime minister Kevin Rudd's health reform plan, the Commonwealth would be the dominant funder and the trouble-plagued hospitals would be run through local networks. But the AMA says some states are now resisting the involvement of doctors, nurses and other clinicians on the planned local health boards.

Clinicians sidelined from hospital boards: AMA

22 July 2010: It was a key part of the Federal Government's health plan. Doctors would help to staff the local area networks that would run local hospitals. But not anymore, according to the Australian Medical Association. The medical lobby says that some states are now resisting the involvement of doctors, nurses and other clinicians on the planned local health boards as Annie Guest reports.

Roxon announces MRI for Campbelltown

22 July 2010: Federal Health Minister Nicola Roxon has announced over $3 million for a new MRI machine and other equipment for Campbelltown Hospital.

Gillard and Roxon commit to aged care

22 July 2010: The prime minister and the health minister have made a commitment to aged care reform if the ALP wins the election.

Julia Gillard made the announcement at the annual congress of the NSW Nurses’ Association in Randwick. “If re-elected, further aged care reform will be a second-term priority for my government,” the Ms Gillard said. But Aged Care Association Australia (ACAA) warned the Productivity Commission's reforms could take up to seven years to be implemented.

New chief nurse appointed

22 July 2010: A new chief nurse has been appointed after the previous one was found to have inappropriately used Ministry of Health funds. The new appointee is Jane O'Malley. She will take up the position in late September. Since 2005 she has been director of nursing and midwifery for the West Coast District Health Board. She has a masters in nursing services from New York University and a PhD from Victoria University.

Chorus of cries for mental health funds

22 July 2010: Four respected community organisations and the Australian Medical Association have urged the major parties to pledge big investments in community mental health, saying it is the forgotten part of the system. Anglicare Australia, Catholic Social Services Australia, the Salvation Army and UnitingCare Australia have released a jointly signed statement saying that whoever wins the election should invest more in supporting the mentally ill in the community.

Roxon promises extra beds and clinic

22 July 2010: Liverpool Hospital was promised an extra 42 beds and a GP superclinic as Labor’s Federal Election campaign swept through town yesterday. Federal Health Minister Nicola Roxon visited Liverpool Hospital to announce plans for the new health services, which will be funded under the Federal Government’s $7.4 billion health and hospital reforms.

Victorian abortions of Down syndrome babies trebles in 10 years

22 July 2010: The number of Victorian women who terminate their pregnancies after discovering their babies have Down syndrome has almost trebled in a decade. Health Department figures show that in 2006 there were 146 terminations, including five that were late term, for Down syndrome, compared with 54 in 1995.

Shift workers to seek compensation for illnesses linked to the graveyard shift

22 July 2010: Australia should brace itself for a wave of lawsuits by shift workers suffering from diabetes, sleep experts have warned. Drew Dawson, director of the Centre for Sleep Research at the University of South Australia, said research into the link between the graveyard shift and obesity and diabetes could open the floodgates for Australian workers seeking compensation from employers.

Food training program cultivates a fresh idea

22 July 2010: The availability of fresh food in remote indigenous communities will be boosted by a unique training program. The scheme will teach Aboriginal men sustainable cultivation of fruit and vegetables.

Coroner calls for publication of suicide toll in newspapers

22 July 2010: A State coroner has proposed newspapers publish suicide statistics in the same way they update the road toll. His comment has sparked intense debate in the media and mental health communities. South Australian Coroner Mark Johns wants the media to stop worrying about copycat suicides and start reporting the truth about Australia's appalling rate of death by self-harm.

Screening test 'vital' for Fragile X gene

22 July 2010: Health experts have called on the government to fund tests for a genetic defect that is the biggest cause of mental illness and autism. They want a national screening program for all newborn babies and potential parents. The defect, which has no cure, causes mental impairment, behavioural problems, and speech issues and is the most common known genetic cause of autism.

More to be done on mental health: Roxon

21 July 2010: Federal Health Minister Nicola Roxon has told NSW nurses that a lot more spending is needed to improve mental health services around the country. The minister's remark came as health carers and church groups on Wednesday called on both sides of politics to commit to an immediate and substantial increase in investment in mental health services.

Health checks reveal room to improve

21 July 2010: A check-up of Victorian workers has found city dwellers slightly healthier than their country counterparts – but both could improve. More than 120,000 WorkHealth checks – including for blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar and waist circumference – found more than 40 per cent of city and rural workers were at high risk of developing type 2 diabetes or cardiovascular disease.

Labor's e-health plan misses patient safety mark say doctors

21 July 2010: Doctors say Labor's plan for personally-controlled e-health records is a distraction from the main game of delivering shared, secure electronic medical records that will actually improve patient safety. Australian Medical Association president Andrew Pesce warns that patient care is "best served" when doctors have access to complete health records.

AMA releases Indigenous health election wish list

21 July 2010: The Australian Medical Association is calling for a new approach to Indigenous health after what it describes as Governments' shameful failure to address Aboriginal disadvantage in the sector. The association has released a federal election wish list and wants the Federal Government to invest $10 million over 10 years to involve non-government organisations in remote health service delivery.

AMA losing patience over health reforms

21 July 2010: Doctors are losing patience with the lack of progress in health reform, saying the issue should be a top priority for the election campaign. The major parties needed to make their case for a fresh mandate on health reform, the Australian Medical Association said. "The AMA was and is determined to give the federal government's commitment to reform every chance of success," association president Andrew Pesce told the National Press Club in Canberra on Wednesday. "But our patience is wearing thin."

Govt pledges $11.3m for Sydney hospital

21 July 2010: The federal government has promised $11.3 million for 45 new beds at Westmead Hospital in Sydney's west. The hospital's emergency department will also get a cash injection for new equipment and more beds to treat trauma patients, Health Minister Nicola Roxon announced on Wednesday.

Gastroenterology update

21 July 2010: Newsletter

Middle-aged Brits urged to practice safe sex as HIV rate doubles for over-50s

21 July 2010: Middle-aged Britons were urged to practice safe sex after figures released today showed the HIV rate for that age group more than doubled in the past seven years. The findings, published online in the journal AIDS and presented at the International Aids Conference in Vienna, suggested over-50s were less likely to get tested and more likely to receive late diagnoses – increasing the risk of an early death from AIDS.

Pragmatic indicators for remote Aboriginal maternal and infant health care: why it matters and where to start

21 July 2010: Journal article

Dealing with the uncertainty and the kinks of health reform

21 July 2010: Uncertainty in health care is generally not much fun. Tests results that are not definitive, treatments that may or may not work, nasty side effects that may or may not occur… Uncertainty in health care reform is similarly vexing. Would an Abbott Government put aside all the work of the past few years? Would an elected PM Gillard push ahead with the reforms associated so strongly with “health minister” Rudd? Even if the reforms do go ahead as planned, there are so many uncertainties around the implementation. As one over-worked health manager commented to Croakey recently: “At the moment, a lot of it is a guessing game as there is little detail.”

Gillard, Roxon lend support to nurses

21 July 2010: The Federal Government's heavy hitters are turning out to show their support for nurses and midwives at a conference in Sydney today. Prime Minister Julia Gillard and Health Minister Nicola Roxon will address the conference of the New South Wales Nurses Association.

Liverpool Hospital getting $20 million upgrade

21 Jul,y 2010: Liverpool Hospital will get 42 new beds and more emergency department equipment worth $20 million as part of an agreement between the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) and New South Wales. Half of the beds will go to the hospital's mental health care department, according to Health minister, Nicola Roxon.

Two couples suing doctors for failing to diagnose Down Syndrome

21 July 2010: Two Victorian couples are suing doctors for failing to diagnose Down Syndrome in their unborn babies, denying them the chance to terminate the pregnancies. The couples are claiming unspecified damages for economic loss, continuing costs of care of the children, and "psychiatric injury". Both say they would have aborted their pregnancies had they been told their children would be born with Down Syndrome.

Workshops help teachers deal with problem of sexual behaviour by children

21 July 2010: Queensland teachers have been told that all children "require opportunities to engage in developmentally appropriate sex and sexuality exploration". A professional development series run by Education Queensland and Queensland Health, designed to help teachers cope with the growing problem, also questioned whether parents should be told about some incidents because of the distress it caused.

Green diet push angers experts

21 July 2010: Australia's top health standards body has been accused of subverting food science to fit a green agenda. It did this by suggesting caps on meat and fish intake on environmental grounds – even though pregnant women risk nutritional deficiencies as a result. The National Health and Medical Research Council, in redrawing Australia's official dietary guidelines, has triggered a storm of protest from expert bodies, which warn that no good evidence has been provided to back its approach.

Gel succeeds in blocking AIDS

21 July 2010: A study in South Africa has shown that, for the first time, a vaginal gel can block the AIDS virus, halving a woman's chances of getting HIV from an infected partner. Scientists called it a breakthrough in the long quest for a tool to help women whose partners won't use condoms. The results need to be confirmed in another study.

Zinc cold remedy on the nose

21 July 2010: A popular zinc-based homeopathic remedy for the common cold that is sold over the counter is not only ineffective but can also cause users to lose their sense of smell, a study published yesterday has warned. Clinical trials have found that zinc nasal gels and sprays were ineffective in preventing or reducing the duration of the common cold, as well as being linked to a loss of smell, the study published in Archives of Otolaryngology said.

Vaginal gel a new hope in fight against AIDS pandemic, say scientists

20 July 2010: Scientists have reported a big stride towards a vaginal gel that can thwart HIV, potentially protecting millions of women from the AIDS pandemic. A prototype cream tested in South Africa curbed the risk of infection by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) by 39 per cent overall, but by 54 per cent among those women who used it most consistently, they said. The study coincided with the six-day 18th International AIDS Conference in Vienna, where leading campaigners responded with cheers, leavened with some caution.

Quarter of young have mental disorder

20 July 2010: Mental health issues are rife among Australia's young people, with one in four aged 16–24 affected. Yet fewer than a quarter of those 671,000 sufferers used mental health services in the previous year, the latest Australian Bureau of Statistics research finds.

Fee cuts threaten home visits and after-hours medical services

20 July 2010: After-hours medical services may become financially unviable as early as mid-2011, when the government starts withdrawing incentive payments. The National Association of Medical Deputising Services – which represents 14 after-hours organisations nationwide – has written to Federal Health Minister Nicola Roxon warning the association is "extremely concerned and alarmed" at the changes, which were announced in the May budget.

Listen up ladies it's really true, cleaning really is bad for your health

20 July 2010: Women who are fastidious about keeping their house clean and fragrant may unwittingly increase their chances of developing breast cancer, a study warned. The research, by the US Silent Spring Institute, an organisation that looks for links between chemicals and women's health, said in animal studies various compounds were linked to cancer.

Serious health issues remain – Roxon

20 July 2010: There are serious health issues to be addressed in Australia, especially in mental health, Federal Health Minister Nicola Roxon says. Ms Roxon says she doesn't pretend the health system is a "complete piece of work". "We acknowledge there are serious issues to do with the health system... we understand more needs to be done to address mental health," she told reporters in Sydney.

Phone authority red tape eased for GPs

20 July 2010: Federal health minister Nicola Roxon has announced a free-up of the PBS phone authority scheme that has long irked GPs, in one of the first election campaign announcements regarding health.

Revised criteria will “streamline” around 50 new medicines in the scheme, to around 160 – meaning doctors will not have to obtain telephone approval from Medicare before issuing a prescription. Doctors will still need to record an “authority code”.

Move to cut PBS red tape

20 July 2010: Changes to prescribing rules for drugs listed on PBS have been announced. The federal government has announced changes to prescribing rules for drugs listed on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) in a move aimed at cutting red tape for doctors.

QLD nurses demand answers

20 July 2010: Hundreds of angry nurses rallied outside Queensland parliament to protest against the ongoing pay debacle. Queensland's health minister says underpaid workers aren't interested in laying blame for the Queensland Health payroll debacle – they just want it fixed.

Article: Specialists help demystify the process of dying

20 July 2010: Hospice nurses and palliative-care specialists prepare families for loss of a loved one. “My mantra is, dying is all about spirituality,” said Dr. Kevin F. Dieter, associate medical director of Summa palliative care and hospice services in Akron, Ohio. “The first thing we have to acknowledge is that patients are near the end of life. We need to validate to them what’s going on. They are waiting for us to tell them because they need to get things wrapped up."

Leading mental health expert Patrick McGorry visits Christmas Island

19 July 2010: Patrick McGorry, touched down on Christmas Island yesterday as a guest of the Department of Immigration and Citizenship. The leading mental health researcher, Australian of the Year and and outspoken critic of immigration detention centres, (he has described them as factories for mental illness), said he was there to "look and learn".

Checks by the TGA reveal 98 per cent of drug labs have problems

19 July 2010: Deficiencies have been uncovered at 98 per cent of the pharmaceutical laboratories audited by the drugs regulator in the past year. The federal government's Therapeutic Goods Administration yesterday revealed that only three of the 139 labs it audited last financial year were problem-free.

Snowdon: Agreed terms of reference for Central Australia renal study

19 July 2010: The Australian, Northern Territory, South Australian and Western Australian Governments have agreed to the Terms of Reference for a Central Australian renal study. The study, funded by the Australian Government, will assess the current issues surrounding the delivery of renal services in Central Australia taking into account stakeholder consultation and activity-based data. The findings will inform consideration of the most effective and feasible service delivery options and pathways for care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients in need of renal services, including dialysis, and will identify issues around the distribution of these services.

US bid for Australian hospitals

20 July 2010: Australia's second-largest private hospital operator – which owns 14 facilities in NSW – is about to be taken over by an American firm. The board of Healthscope Australia yesterday recommended a $2 billion takeover offer from US private equity firms Carlyle Group and TPG Capital.

Portion distortion is a big hurdle to acheiving weight loss

20 July 2010: The battle against obesity is struggling to overcome four decades of cultural conditioning which has taught us to eat too much. The phenomenon is called portion distortion.

Fee cuts threaten home visits and after-hours medical services

19 July 2010: After-hours medical services may become financially unviable as early as mid-2011, when the government starts withdrawing incentive payments. The National Association of Medical Deputising Services – which represents 14 after-hours organisations nationwide – has written to Federal Health Minister Nicola Roxon warning the association is "extremely concerned and alarmed" at the changes, which were announced in the May budget.

Medical body barred from diabetes talks

19 July 2010: The federal government's diabetes reforms are facing continued controversy. The latest set back comes after the nation's peak doctors' group said it had been shut out of a key advisory body because of its opposition to the scheme. The Australian Medical Association – which has led the objections to the scheme – said that, while it had been approached to join the advisory group, "our participation was not possible when it was made clear that our inclusion was conditional on us changing our position".

No favours for mental health

19 July 2010: A Gillard government will not single out the mental health sector for special attention at the expense of other health services, according to Health Minister Nicola Roxon. Despite being criticised by Australian of the Year and mental-health advocate Patrick McGorry for neglecting the area, and the Coalition's offer of a $1.5 billion package, Ms Roxon said mental health would have to share the spotlight.

L-methionine in patients with neurogenic bladder disorders: neither benefit nor harm proven

19 July 2010: It is unclear whether patients with neurogenic bladder disorders benefit from the drug L-methionine. The only study currently available provides neither proof of benefit nor proof of harm. This is the result of a report published by the German Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG) on 12 July 2010. The normal function of the bladder is to ensure the storage of urine and its controlled and coordinated excretion. This coordinating activity is regulated by the nervous system. If this system is damaged and the connection between bladder and nervous system totally or partially interrupted, this is referred to as a "neurogenic bladder disorder".

Deal for Healthscope of Australia

18 July 18, 2010: SYDNEY (Reuters) - Private equity firms TPG and Carlyle have won a bidding war for Australia's Healthscope Ltd, agreeing to pay $1.73 billion for the hospital owner in the nation's largest buyout deal since 2007. Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co was trumped by a higher-than-expected offer by TPG and Carlyle following last-minute negotiations at the weekend with the board of Healthscope, which owns 43 hospitals in Australia. The health care sector is hotly sought after for growth in Australia, where the population is expanding and aging, and the government is pushing patients to use private healthcare. Healthscope's 43 hospitals represent 15 percent of Australia's private hospital market, and has the country's third-largest pathology business.

Shocking impact of booze on babies

18 July 2010: Australia has fallen behind in recognising and diagnosing ''completely preventable'' foetal alcohol syndrome and wider spectrum disorders, researchers warn. The federal government has so far failed to respond more than a year after a monograph – an extensive gathering of available studies – was submitted to the Health Minister, Nicola Roxon, recommending favourable treatments.

Abbott will cut hospital funding: Roxon

18 July 2010: Nicola Roxon has fired the first health salvo of the 2010 election campaign, warning funding will be stripped from hospitals if Tony Abbott makes it to the Lodge. She talked up the government's progress rolling out health reforms but said there was still more to be done, making a pitch to voters for a second Labor term.

Roxon says WA health deal unlikely before election

18 July 2010: The Federal Health Minister Nicola Roxon says it is unlikely there will be a health agreement between the Western Australian and Commonwealth governments before election day.

Roxon disappointed in Coles' cheap cigarettes

18 July 2010: Federal Health Minister Nicola Roxon says she is disappointed that Coles supermarkets are selling cheap cigarettes imported from Europe. Coles buys cheaper cigarettes from Germany and is selling them for around $11 a packet, almost $4 cheaper than many other brands.

MyHospitals website to compare performances of public hospitals against national benchmarks

17 July 2010: The performances of public hospitals will now be compared against national benchmarks, by the new Government's MyHospitals website, which is scheduled for a launch next month.

Rushed hospital site just a Band-Aid

17 July 2010: The federal government has rushed out a pre-election announcement on the long-awaited national ''MyHospital'' website, to consist of little more than existing state websites in Victoria and New South Wales. The announcement was made yesterday to beat the curfew on government activity once an election is called.

The Leaders know the importance of rural and remote health

17 July 2010: In Julia Gillard and Tony Abbott, the Election campaign has two people with close and long-term understanding of the importance of rural health and health policy. The NRHA has today published its Election Charter calling on Leaders to commit to 10 key fields of action to overcome the inequities faced by the people of rural and remote Australia. Action across these 10 key fields will not only improve health outcomes but also contribute to the nation’s economic productivity.

GPs call for the 'all-clear' on swine flu vaccine

17 July 2010: Doctors are demanding an official all clear from the nation's drug regulator about the safety of swine flu vaccines. This follows US concerns over Australian pharmaceutical giant CSL. Australian Medical Association vice-president Steve Hambleton yesterday said GPs were still waiting for the Therapeutic Goods Administration to officially inform them about discolouration in multi-use vials of the Panvax vaccine.

Insecurities plague electronic health care

16 July 2010: Information security and privacy in the healthcare sector is an issue of growing importance but much remains to be done to address the various issues raised by healthcare consumers regarding privacy and security and the providers' perspective of regulatory compliance. Writing in the International Journal of Internet and Enterprise Management, Ajit Appari and Eric Johnson of Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA, explain that the adoption of digital patient records, increased regulation, provider consolidation and the increasing need for information exchange between patients, providers and payers, all point towards the need for better information security. Without it patient privacy could be seriously compromised at great cost to individuals and to the standing of the healthcare industry.

Roxon: Experts to help deliver better diabetes services

16 July 2010: People with diabetes will join health professionals, including medical specialists, general practitioners, nurses and allied health professionals, on an Advisory Group to help the Government deliver better services for Australians with diabetes. Advisory group members listed.

Chief Health Officer renews calls for influenza vaccination

16 July 2010: NSW Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant today made a renewed call for people to obtain an influenza vaccination. NSW Health Survey data from June shows around 40% of the community had already been vaccinated.

Snowdon: Rural Health Minister addresses rural health students at national conference

15 July 2010: The Minister for Rural and Regional Health, Warren Snowdon, told a conference of more than 300 rural health students, that the Australian Government is committed to delivering an ambitious health reform agenda, which will support more health professionals to work and live in rural and regional Australia.