Push to expand Medicare for better mental health access
Australians could have improved access to mental health support under a Greens election proposal to shore up the psychology workforce and expand Medicare.
health
Pollution problem: the issue making kids sick at school
Children face higher risks of poor health outcomes due to traffic-related air pollution as one in six capital city schools are located near major roads.
Mental health taking a hit as climate crisis worsens
Poor health outcomes are being attributed to extreme heat events, rapid rain bursts and worsening fire season as part of a growing climate crisis.
Strengthening wildlife numbers key to mitigate bird flu
The Invasive Species Council wants better bird protections to mitigate the impact of a deadly bird flu strain as Australia war games how to contain an outbreak.
Call for clubs, bosses to treat deadly cancer seriously
A skin cancer survivor says workplaces and sporting clubs need to do more to protect Australians from sun damage as new data highlights skin cancer hotspots.
Plea for action over death of six kids in protection
Six children connected to Victoria's child protection system have died in the last three months, sparking a plea for more action to protect vulnerable kids.
Nation’s sick state of readiness for pandemics unmasked
Australia's healthcare, economy and public service have been exhausted by COVID-19 and a Centre for Disease Control will be set up to prepare for pandemics.
‘Radical transparency’ to restore trust lost post-COVID
Victoria's former health chief says organisations like a future Centre for Disease Control would go a long way to rebuilding trust in pandemic responses.
Renewed push for ‘cruel, wasteful’ dying law shakeup
Terminally ill Australians face 'cruel' restrictions on peacefully ending their lives according to Andrew Denton, as 'gag laws' come under scrutiny.
Ancient variant clue to Indigenous respiratory illness
A previously unknown gene variant unique to the Oceanic region could help improve disease prevention for Indigenous people, researchers say.
Feeling climate dread? Nature may be the best medicine
While young people experience increasing levels of eco-anxiety, an eminent Australian psychiatrist says working in the environment can be a powerful antidote.
Israeli strikes kill 22 in northern Gaza, officials say
Palestinian medical officials say the latest Israeli strikes on northern Gaza have killed at least 22 people, mostly women and children.
‘No plans’ to unwind abortion under federal coalition
Debate over pregnancy termination is raging in Queensland but an opposition senator says the federal coalition won't restrict access to abortion.
Push for urgent delivery of support for midwives crisis
More than a third of midwives around the nation are considering quitting the profession and graduate numbers need to be boosted, a survey has found.
Abortion access still a lottery for the disadvantaged
When it comes to abortion access, Victorians face a 'postcode lottery' with those in disadvantaged and regional areas confronting barriers to the service.
Mpox cases in Australia surge past 1000
As the number of mpox cases in Australia climbs to the highest numbers yet, Victoria's chief health officer has warned that anyone can be affected.
Premier apologises for ‘sub-optimal’ hospital care
Queensland's premier has had a bump in the polls a week out from the state election as he issues a personal apology on the campaign trail.
Millions of Australians stalked, women often targeted
Women are more likely to have been stalked than men, with one in seven Australians revealing they have been subjected to the behaviour since they were a teen.
‘Invisible, sidelined’: landmark count for fatal cancer
People with metastatic breast cancer often feel invisible but world-leading research to understand its prevalence could mean better support.
‘You feel helpless’: call for epilepsy awareness, care
Experts are raising awareness for Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy, saying two out of three cases could be prevented through better seizure control.
Labor pitches $365m for 50 new GP clinics to woo voters
Two weeks out from election day, Queensland Labor has made a bold pitch to open 50 bulk-billing GP clinics as the opposition eyes a new dam in the southeast.
‘Wonderful move’: foreign GPs fast-tracked to plug gap
Qualified doctors from Ireland, New Zealand and the UK will be able to see Australian patients sooner after the regulator eased registration hurdles.
One ring to track all? Wearable tech extends its reach
Would you trust a ring to track your sleep? It is a question more Australians may ask this Christmas as smart jewellery vies for attention.
Dodgy tweets and shirt dog Labor on Qld campaign trail
Decade-old social media posts have come back to haunt a Labor candidate ahead of the Queensland election, forcing the premier to step up in her defence.
Early cases a key test for coercive control laws
New coercive control laws are set to be tested in court as police scramble to gather enough information to prosecute.
Time for a check-up: hospitals not yet climate ready
All-electric hospitals could cut emissions by using clean energy under a proposed retrofit that would also keep services on during power cuts and catastrophes.
‘Handmaid’s Tale’: abortion law repeal call slammed
The heat is on Queensland's opposition leader as a conservative crossbench vows to challenge abortion laws in the likely event of a change in government.
Experts back age limit at landmark social media summit
Laws will be needed for social media companies to comply with any age limit on users, one premier says as experts back calls to restrict youth access.
Indigenous communities pushing back against eye disease
Children in vulnerable Indigenous communities are less likely to contract a highly infectious eye disease, while more adults are having surgery for cataracts.
Shame a barrier as many delay help for mental health
Some people are waiting up to 10 years before accessing support for mental health issues as a new survey reveals increasing shame about seeking treatment.
Teen’s wheezing a ‘red flag’ before anaphylactic death
A decorated doctor says the death of 17-year-old boy from a severe allergic reaction could have been prevented if doctors had administered adrenaline earlier.