Archived News for Health Sector Professionals

The report by Richard Chesterman QC into a whistle blower’s allegations of medical malpractice within the Queensland health system has been tabled in the Queensland Parliament.

Health Minister Lawrence Springborg said the report highlighted the need for changes to administrative structures that oversee the handling of complaints and the enforcement of standards in Queensland health facilities.

“These recommendations reflect concerns I have raised since my appointment,” the Minister said. “Mr Chesterman has highlighted the need for stronger legal participation in the review of complaints about medical cases and I agree with the thrust of his suggestions.”

Better management of traumatic brain injury

New treatments to lessen the severity of the more than 21,000 Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) cases that occur in Australia each year are on the horizon.

Curtin University funded to expand public clinics

Curtin University has been awarded more than $5 million by Health Workforce Australia (HWA) to refurbish and provide innovative healthcare solutions at its public clinics.

More training places needed for young medicos finds Monash

More must be done to ensure the booming number of medical graduates have access to adequate internship placements according to a report published in the Medical Journal of Australia.

AMA releases Chronic Disease Plan

The AMA has released its AMA Chronic Disease Plan: Improving Care for Patients with Chronic and Complex Care Needs, responding to the growing challenge of chronic disease in an ageing population.

Faster Assessment of the Impact of Industrial Chemicals

A new framework to provide a faster, more flexible and transparent approach to assessing the impact of industrial chemicals on human health and the environment has been launched by the Federal Government.

The Inventory Multi-tiered Assessment and Prioritisation (IMAP) framework has been designed to accelerate the assessment of industrial chemicals..

It uses a staged approach to look at the impact of unassessed industrial chemicals listed on Australia’s national inventory, the Australian Inventory of Chemical Substances (AICS).

The framework has been developed by the National Industrial Chemicals Notification and Assessment Scheme (NICNAS), the Australian Government regulator for industrial chemicals, in consultation with community, industry and government stakeholder groups.

The IMAP framework will be implemented in stages. Stage one which began on 1 July this year, will run over four years and see the assessment of about 3,000 chemicals on Australia’s national inventory that have been identified as priorities for early consideration.

They are chemicals for which NICNAS already holds information about their quantity or use in Australia, chemicals identified as a concern or for which regulatory action has been taken overseas, and chemicals reported in international studies analysing the blood in babies’ umbilical cords.

Stage one will also include an external review of the framework, which is expected to make recommendations on the most efficient and effective approach to assessing and prioritising the remainder of the chemicals on the national inventory.

Cancer scare at PWCS

Port Waratah Coal Services (PWCS) have released the results of a long-running study into the carcinogenic effects of coal mining in response to growing concerns raised by the employees over the prevelance of cancer rates in the workforce.

Mental health EBA deal signed

Unions representing the majority of mental health professionals in Victoria have publically endorsed the Victorian Public Mental Health Services Enterprise Agreement (EBA), with Victorian Minister for Mental Health Mary Wooldridge welcoming the decision.

Australian Innovation Challenge open for entries

Innovative individuals and projects across seven fields have an opportunity to secure cash prizes and national recognition as part of the Australian Innovation Challenge, an initiative of The Australian newspaper in association with Shell Australia.

Exemplar Health wins Kawana contract

The Exemplar Health consortium, lead by development giant Lend Lease, has been announced by Queensland Health as the successful proponent to deliver the new tertiary hospital at Kawana on the Sunshine Coast.

NSW announces pain management overhaul

The New South Wales Government has announced a ‘ground breaking’ strategy designed to overhaul pain management services across the state.

SA announces immediate action on Monaghan Report

The South Australian Government has announced immediate action will start to implement reforms recommended in Dr Mark Monaghan’s report on Emergency Department care.

Transplants and dialysis treatment trebles

The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) has published a report which shows that the number of Australians treated with dialysis or kidney transplantation for their end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) has almost tripled between 1991 and 2009.

Victoria puts Barwon up for NDIS rollout

State Minister for Community Services Mary Wooldridge said the launch area, consisting of the City of Greater Geelong, the Surf Coast Shire, the Borough of Queenscliffe and the Colac-Otway Shire, is well placed to build on and use existing services and supports to launch the NDIS in Victoria.

Marijuana doubles risk of premature birth

Research conducted by the University of Adelaide shows that women who use marijuana during the time of pregnancy can more than double the risk of premature birth.

Study finds nurses believe violence is part of their job

A new study conducted at the Lyell McEwin Hospital found nurses believe they must accept violence as part of their job.

Too much food, too little balance finds AIHW

The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) has published a report that indicates that Australia’s are eating too much of some foods and too little of others, with people consuming a higher percentage of their daily energy intake in the form of sugary or fatty foods.

CSIRO to help tackle rotavirus

CSIRO has been contracted by the Program for Appropriate Technology in Health (PATH) to produce antibodies on a large scale that will be used in the development of a new, safe, affordable and effective vaccination against rotavirus, a major cause of severe and fatal diarrhoea in young children worldwide.