Queensland close to testing world-first gonorrhoea vaccine
Clinical trials of a world-first gonorrhoea vaccine could be a year away as the problem of antibiotic resistance becomes increasingly pressing around the world.
health
Billions set aside for aged care reforms
The government will spend billions in the federal budget overhauling the aged care sector, while COVID-19 response measures are also being extended.
Call for support for doctors being probed
The chair of a health professional lobby group is calling on the federal government to change laws on claims against practitioners.
Hospital staff sent to Vic flood areas
Towns in northern Victoria are being warned it is getting too late to evacuate from flooding, with the Murray River expected to break its banks this week.
Connectivity a lifeline for bush patients
The AMA is urging the government to improve mobile and internet coverage in the bush, particularly as several states endure major floods.
PM rejects claims regions left behind
Anthony Albanese has hit back at opposition claims regional areas are being forgotten for infrastructure funding in the upcoming budget.
Australia’s 1000 dark days of COVID-19
Australia will soon mark 1000 days since it recorded its first COVID-19 case - and experts reflect on the life-altering crisis of the pandemic era.
Floods to hit federal, household budgets
The devastating floods hitting large swathes of the country will put more pressure on the already-pressured federal budget and the cost of some essential items.
Medicare rorts claims to be investigated
Health Minister Mark Butler has ordered his department to examine claims the Medicare system was being rorted by billions of dollars each year.
Online victims still shoulder abuse burden
A disability activist and writer has called for the eSafety commissioner to do more to stop online abuse towards Australians with disabilities.
Qld passes new health practitioners laws
Queensland health practitioners will be more strictly regulated by federal watchdogs after new laws were passed by state parliament.
Consultation ‘oversight’ in clinic closure
An inquest into the death of Indigenous teenager Kumanjayi Walker has been told Aboriginal health staff should have been consulted over an evacuation decision.
Australia ends mandatory COVID isolation
It's no longer necessary for people with COVID-19 to isolate, with Australian authorities scrapping rules which have been in place for years.
Ruby Princess companies reject COVID blame
Ruby Princess's operators were well aware a cruise was in jeopardy of a COVID-19 outbreak before it set sail and 28 people died, a class action trial has heard.
Another resignation at north Qld hospital
Another staff member has resigned at the Mackay Hospital and Health Service after a report into the facility's failures.
Ditch pig eradication programs: experts
Feral pigs are a major problem for Australian farms and ecosystems but scientists say trying to exterminate them won't work.
Fluoridated water safe for children: study
Fluoridated water is safe, according to a Queensland study that found no difference in development and function between kids who drank it and those that didn't.
Regulator suspends Tas chief psychiatrist
Tasmania's chief psychiatrist, who has also held the role in several other states, has had his licence suspended by the national regulator.
Doctors alarmed over easing COVID-19 rules
Another COVID-19 wave is on its way to Australia, with the nation's peak medical body urging federal and state governments to rethink winding back restrictions.
Melbourne COVID-19 quarantine hub to close
A purpose-built quarantine facility in Melbourne is closing nine months after opening to international travellers as a COVID-19 precaution.
Full medical school to open in Cairns
Medical students will soon be able to complete their full degrees in Cairns in what is hoped will be a boost to efforts to retain doctors in regional areas.
Monash hospital to undergo $560m expansion
The Victorian government will spend up to $560 million to upgrade Monash Medical Centre in Melbourne's southeast as the healthcare system struggles with demand.
Health warnings after isolation scrapped
The decision by federal, state and territory leaders to scrap mandatory COVID-19 isolation periods for most Australians has been criticised by health experts.
Poor Queensland hospital care “life-altering”
Health Minister Yvette D'Ath has handed down a report into alleged malpractice at Mackay Hospital and broader capacity problems in the health system.
Hidden surgery waiting lists a ‘scandal’
Hidden wait times for elective surgery mean it's impossible for patients to make an informed decision about whether to go public or private, the AMA says.
Weed killer detected in Australian urine
A study has found eight per cent of urine samples collected from a group of Australians contain a common weed killer, while farmers spraying it had high levels.
Koalas at risk of extinction, experts warn
Koalas are under threat and could eventually disappear due to urban expansion, loss of habitat, disease and climate change, wildlife experts claim.
Interim tick for Pfizer infant booster
The Therapeutic Goods Administration has given provisional approval for Pfizer's COVID-19 booster to be used in children aged six months to five years.
Australia remains vulnerable to new COVID-19 variants: review
Australia is not well-prepared should another variant of COVID-91 sweep through the country, a review of vaccine and treatment procurement has found.
The passion and politics of rural medicine
After nearly five decades working in rural medicine, Professor Dennis Pashen has been described as an "icon" for his advocacy for better healthcare in the bush.
Ex ice addict welcomes Perrottet reforms
Offering counselling to people caught with small amounts of drugs could help users kick their addictions, a recovering addict says.