Hard road to birth amid maternity closures
Rural doctors are calling for urgent action to stop maternity closures and bypasses, as hundreds of families travel long distances to give birth.
health
Surface spray could kill COVID-19, viruses
Researchers have developed a surface spray that can potentially kill viruses such as COVID-19 as well as deadly bacteria 24 hours after it's applied.
Doctor losses blamed for hospital baby ban
The Queensland government has defended doctor shortages and other issues which could prevent many women giving birth in Gladstone until mid-2023.
Qld lowers COVID-19 pandemic alert level
Queensland, which has emerged from a fourth wave of COVID-19, will cut its community alert level to green from amber.
Drunken arrests decision sparks division
The Victorian government will press ahead with decriminalising public drunkenness without giving police new powers in a decision that has divided organisations.
Australia looks for PNG health partnership
Australian MPs are in Papua New Guinea for a first-hand look at the health situation in the hopes of forming stronger partnerships with the northern neighbour.
China reports huge rise in COVID-19 deaths
China has reported a massive jump in COVID-related deaths since its strict anti-virus regime was abandoned last month.
Virus cases in post-Christmas decline
The number of people testing positive for COVID-19 went into steep decline in the weeks following Christmas after peaking just before the holiday break.
AMA urges action on elective surgery
The Australian Medical Association is urging governments to provide extra funding to address a huge backlog of patients waiting for elective surgery.
Melanoma vaccine ‘not one size fits all’
Clinical trial results for a new melanoma vaccine are promising, but UNSW Sydney experts say key questions still need to be answered.
Redo for bowel tests after surgery failure
Colonoscopy patients in Victoria and NSW may need to have the diagnostic procedure redone after a review found the surgeon involved had left some incomplete.
Doctors group welcomes GP tax verdict
The Australian Medical Association welcomed a verdict on payroll tax for GPs, fearing bulk billing was at risk as some clinics faced multimillion-dollar bills.
Qld govt defends health building blowouts
Queensland's acting premier says just like home renovators, the government is facing budget blowouts on projects due to high building material costs.
Ministers chastised for health advice snub
Anne Ruston says the government is undermining Australians' trust in medical experts by inferring advice from the chief medical officer wasn't cautious enough.
Fears mount over any China virus variants
Australian health authorities are being urged to keep a close eye on possible new COVID-19 variants coming out of China as cases spike.
COVID travel curbs ‘discriminatory’: China
The latest wave of China's COVID infections is likely to reach its peak in the next two weeks, with an estimated 9000 people dying every day.
Urgent need for blood donations
Australian Red Cross Lifeblood urgently needs 8000 Australians to give blood over the next five days to meet demand over the New Year long weekend.
Call to roll out ‘e-bikes for clunkers’
Electric bicycles should be heavily discounted to help Australia meet its 2030 climate target, experts say.
Qld maternity units understaffed, AMA says
The Australian Medical Association is calling on Queensland Health to fix chronic workforce shortages in regional hospitals.
Xmas miracle as premmie twins go home
Aashay and Aalyia Goel barely survived birth. Aashay was born at just under 800 grams and Aalyia at just under 700.
Brisbane nurses create memories for mum battling incurable cancer
After receiving the devastating news that her cancer is incurable, a nurse and mother of two from Brisbane is striving to create lasting memories with her partner and two young sons.
Greens ‘still safe’ after spinach recall
A peak industry body is urging Australians to keep supporting vegetable growers in the wake of a recall of spinach, which it says was from a single farm.
Spinach recall reaches all but one state
Coles has joined Woolworths and Riviera Farms in a spinach product recall that has extended across all states and territories except WA.
COVID wave nears pre-Christmas peak
Health Minister Mark Butler warns Australia's latest COVID-19 wave still has a way to go despite case numbers starting to plateau as Christmas approaches.
Alerts linger as COVID-19 hits NSW peak
Infections of COVID-19 are likely to fall in Australia's most populous state, NSW, but experts warn the national health emergency is far from over.
Kids open wide for tooth decay study
The dental health of Australian children will be examined in a four-year study of more than 30,000 kids that has won the support of state health authorities.
How ultrasound could treat Alzheimer’s
Queensland researchers are one step closer to helping Australians with Alzheimer's disease improve their memory function through ultrasound treatments.
Healius shake-up: $140m day hospitals sold
A leading Australian healthcare company has shifted focus, selling its consortium of day hospitals and appointing a new CEO.
COVID case rise slows, peak on horizon
Weekly COVID-19 infections have risen six per cent in the past week as new data shows Australia experienced higher-than-average deaths from January to August.
Australian children failing fitness tests
Four out of five Australian kids are not getting enough exercise, prompting calls for a national plan to encourage them to get off screens and be more active.
Scarlet Fever alert follows UK deaths
Parents are warned to be alert but not alarmed following numerous deaths linked to children contracting Scarlet Fever in the United Kingdom.