The first Medical Locals are expected to commence operations mid next year With the first Medical Locals expected to commence operations mid next year, some concern has been expressed the government has missed the opportunity to fundamentally reform Australia’s primary ...

Roxon shelves $450m diabetes care plan. The federal government has shelved its controversial diabetes reform plan that was meant to allow patients to sign up with a "home" GP practice for continuing care from mid-2012. Just four months ago, Health ...

Almost $450 million in NHMRC research grants. Minister for Mental Health and Ageing Mark Butler has announced $447.5 million for medical research, though the National Health and Medical Research Council.  Butler made the announcement while opening two new research facilities ...

New rights for nurse practitioners have been welcomed, but will rural health teams survive? The fact that nurse practitioners now have access to the Medicare Benefits Scheme and Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme mustn’t obscure that fact that there is a serious ...

Hundreds of nursing jobs were cut in Sydney's west and north shore and the NSW central coast in the 12 months to June 2010, the state opposition says. Freedom of Information documents have revealed 340 nursing jobs were shed by ...

Collaborative and integrated model of practice is necessary. The Australian Greens are calling for a more unified approach to make homebirths a suitable option for Australian mothers. Senator Rachel Siewert, Greens health spokesperson, said homebirth was a popular option in ...

Western Australia moves to introduce controversial laws to boost transplant rate. Western Australia could become the first state in Australia to introduce opt-out organ donor laws. Currently, people must opt-in to the provision, but only 16 per cent of West ...

Government announces new round of scholarships. The Minister for Mental Health and Ageing Mark Butler has announced a new round of scholarships under the Supporting a Professional Aged Care Workforce Program. "The scholarships available under this program provide aged care ...

Nurses use Mental Health Week to call for more action to treat chronic illness. The detrimental impact of untreated mental health disorders on patients suffering from chronic illnesses will be a focus of Mental Health Week. ANF federal secretary Lee ...

Despite the impending epidemic, annual spend on dementia research is $20 million, compared to $160 million for cancer. The release of the ‘World Alzheimer Report 2010’ in Sydney recently has reinforced the seriousness of the impending dementia epidemic, but it ...