Archived News for Health Sector Professionals

Australia’s  first National Centre of Research Excellence in Nursing has been launched at Griffith University's South Bank campus.

Griffith University Vice Chancellor, Professor Ian O'Connor, described nursing at Griffith University as a major teaching and research strength and said NCREN was a platform for the further development of clinical nursing research expertise in Australia.

More than 10,000 nurses have graduated from Griffith University.

NCREN has received $2.5 million funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council for an initial five-year program of research focused on skin integrity and symptom management.

Ten chief investigators, among them eight nurses, are leading the research which is building an unprecedented body of evidence to inform nursing practices into the future.

The centre is partnered with the Gold Coast, Princess Alexandra and Royal Brisbane and Women’s hospitals in southeast Queensland, and the partnerships have already also extended to the Prince Charles and Royal Children's hospitals in Brisbane.

The Australian National University, the University of Canberra and the Southern General Practice Network have received joint funding of $31 million to improve medical care infrastructure in the Canberra region.

Australians are now able to have their say on the nation’s first Report Card on Mental Health and Suicide Prevention, through a new online survey available at http://www.mentalhealthcommission.gov.au/report_card

The release of the online survey follows a series of four Roundtable discussions, with over 140 prominent Australians from across the mental health and related sectors, which were held in Sydney.

The Federal Government has announced the formation of three expert groups to help inform the design of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).

ACT Chief Minister and Minister for Health Katy Gallagher MLA welcomed the start of the ban on smoking in cars with children under the age of 16.

Edith Cowan University (ECU) researchers are leading a world-first study which could change the way Huntington’s disease is treated.  

The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) has published the results of the mass cervical screening program involving 3.6 million women throughout the country.

The Consumers Health Forum of Australia (CHF) has stressed the Federal Government to take action to avert an imminent dental health catastrophe after it released figures that show the public waiting list for dental health services has stretched out to 650,000 across the nation. 

A Monash University researcher who is designing the next generation of medical implants using nanotechnology has been awarded the prestigious Alexander von Humboldt Award for the second time.

The National Prescribing Service (NPS) has urged the Federal Government to act on the growing “anti-biotic-resistance crisis” facing the Australian community. 

Researchers from the Institute and the University of Melbourne are hoping to shape the future of adolescent health, by bringing into focus the risks and issues associated with this vulnerable age group.

The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare  (AIHW) has published a report of the findings of a program aimed at reducing the number of younger people with a disability in residential aged care.

A new book produced by the University of Sydney's Charles Perkins Centre has challenged existing approaches to diabetes and obesity treatments and presented a strategy with the potential to revolutionise the way our society approaches weight management.

The Federal Government has announced the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) will start from July 2013 in up to four locations across the country.

The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) has published a report which details the increase in hospital admissions in Australia, finding that rates of admissions in public hospitals are particularly high.

A research paper published by the NSW Minerals Council has found that addressing growing mental illness issues is a crucial priority for the sector.

Child and maternal health workers and other frontline health workers will soon have access to new free information resources on the perinatal mental health disorders women can face during pregnancy and after birth.

These new resources have been developed in consultation with Australia’s leading perinatal experts. The resources include fact sheets and other quick-reference tools like scoring wheels and questionnaires to help healthcare workers detect and discuss depression, anxiety and other mental health problems with pregnant women and new mothers.

Speaking at the launch of these resources, Minister for Mental Health and Ageing, Mark Butler, said the new resources would be extremely useful to frontline primary health care professionals.

“These new resources will equip GPs, midwives, obstetricians and child and maternal health workers who work on the frontline with the right knowledge and tools to undertake screening for perinatal depression, and provide a better understanding of safe and effective treatments for mothers and their babies,” Mr Butler said.

“It’s critical that mothers who are showing signs of depression or anxiety are treated quickly and effectively. These resources will result in more women being screened, symptoms being detected earlier and most importantly, more women getting the care and support that they need.”

The Labor Government provides $30 million to the states and territories under the National Perinatal Depression Initiative to help roll out routine and universal screening for perinatal depression, for support services and to train health professionals to treat the condition.

As part of a new National Partnership Agreement (NP) on Mental Health, the Labor Government will provide the NSW Government with $57.6 million over 5 years for three new projects that will improve the care and support provided to people living with severe mental illness.

Under the NP, NSW is receiving the largest share of funding of all states and territories.

The following projects will receive Commonwealth funding:

Australia’s medical workforce has grown steadily in the 10 years to 2009 with the number of female working doctors increasing to make up more than one-third (36 per cent) of all working doctors.

The Federal Government has announced it will provide the NSW Government with $57.6 million over five years for three new projects to improve the care and support provided to those living with severe mental illnesses.