Australia paying lip service to Closing the Gap: Thorpe
The latest Closing the Gap report on Indigenous disadvantage has found just four of 19 targets have improved, leading some to question the point of the goals.
health
Clinics axed as mental health patients count cost
A private hospital giant is set to close all but three of its psychology clinics as data shows more patients putting off treatment due to cost pressures.
Doctor accused of filming staff in toilets denied bail
A trainee surgeon has been refused bail after he was charged with filming hundreds of staff through a concealed camera in a hospital toilet.
‘Good day for patients’: cheaper medicines on the way
Australians are being reassured cost-of-living relief is still on the federal government's agenda as it prepares to legislate changes to make medicine cheaper.
‘House of cards’: disability lifeline as dominoes fall
Australia's second-largest disability employer has avoided sudden collapse but more trouble could be on the way for the strained sector.
Three-person IVF technique pioneered in UK
British scientists have pioneered a three-person IVF technique to spare children from inheriting diseases, with the procedure resulting in eight healthy babies.
Second case of rare mpox strain discovered in traveller
Health authorities have confirmed the second case of a strain of mpox in Australia in a traveller who returned from overseas.
Contact tracing ongoing after rare mpox strain detected
Authorities say contact tracing is continuing for hospital staff who may have been exposed to a man admitted with a rare strain of mpox.
‘Every day it’s pain’: chronic sufferers plead for help
Sufferers of chronic pain are calling for action on the crisis as a report reveals the huge toll the condition takes on Australia.
Time to see a doctor? Watches to track sleep disorder
Smartwatches can detect signs of a common and potentially serious sleep disorder with the medical regulator approving software that analyses bedtime breathing.
Birth trauma preventable yet affects too many women
One in three women experience birth trauma, but experts say it can be prevented by improving access to continuity of midwifery care and antenatal education.
First Nations hepatitis B risks revealed in study
A study of more than 700 people living with a unique strain of hepatitis B, predominantly affecting Indigenous people, has found severe risks to liver health.
‘Invariably fatal’ rare bat virus claims another victim
The fourth case of the rabies-like lyssavirus has led to a man's death in hospital, several months after he was bitten by a bat.
The disease impacting Indigenous kids’ development
Early detection is key to ensure children thrive as clinical data reveals more than a third of Indigenous children experience "fluctuating" ear disease.
Man critical after catching rare bat lyssavirus virus
A man is critically ill after becoming only the fourth known person in Australia to be diagnosed with a rabies-like bat virus.
Patients seek reassurances after IVF mix ups
IVF experts say there's been an uptick in nervous parents reaching out for reassurance after two devastating mix ups have eroded patient trust in the industry.
No butts: fines and jail for illegal cigs and vapes
Lucrative profits from selling cheap cigarettes and vapes across a rampant black market could go up in smoke under a plan for $1.5 million fines and jail time.
Poor sleep, menopause flare-ups: health in warmer world
Heatwaves have long been linked to higher death rates but more is being understood about the broader health and wellbeing impacts of hot, humid weather.
Drought and taxes pile on mental pressure for farmers
The ongoing challenges of extreme weather and new emergency services taxes are making the mental pressures experienced by farmers harder to bear.
The $45,000 golden prescription to heal rural health
A country town is offering $45,000 and a "concierge" service to lure city doctors to the bush, as strategies to train rural GPs show early signs of success.
New approach needed to fulfil closing the gap promise
Governments must self-reflect and begin to work in new ways with Indigenous organisations if they want to close the gap in health, a report has found.
Tech boss fears AI regulations will hamper innovation
The leader of one of Australia's top medical technology companies warns strict regulations on artificial intelligence could hamper local innovation.
Major boost for tradie students to solve housing crisis
Tradies will be able to complete their apprenticeships for free as a state government tries to ease the housing crisis.
ACT budget on life support amid health funding woes
As he readies his first budget, ACT Treasurer Chris Steel warns the territory's finances are unsustainable without a health funding boost from the Commonwealth.
‘Backbone of health’: new plan for rural maternity care
Health groups have backed a rural maternity plan after public inquiries revealed some women are travelling hours to have babies as local birth units shut down.
Low pharmacy vaping uptake fuels black market fears
Only about 40,000 vapes have been sold via the federal government's pharmacy model, which critics say shows black market sales are still thriving.
Heartbroken mum urges free vaccines for deadly disease
After watching her son die in a few hours, a grieving parent is lobbying a state government to help prevent the disease that killed him.
Stricter IVF regulation on cards as clinic boss quits
The head of a leading fertility clinic that bungled two separate embryo transfers has quit as the fallout from the mix-up intensifies.
Erin McNaught’s baby son diagnosed with brain tumour
Model Erin McNaught and her partner say they are "absolutely shattered" but remain hopeful after their baby son was diagnosed with a large brain tumour.
IVF system fails to pass the pub test, minister says
A rapid review of Australia's IVF industry will scrutinise the safety and quality of state regulatory schemes after recent embryo mix-ups.
Microscope on IVF giant over ‘inexcusable’ embryo error
A private fertility giant faces potential legal and regulatory backlash after transferring the wrong embryo to a woman, its second mix-up in months.