Archived News for Health Sector Professionals

The federal and state health ministers have opened the new children’s cancer centre at the Women’s and Children’s Hospital.


The new haematology and oncology centre is one element of a three-storey redevelopment on top of the existing Gilbert Building. This work has also created space for a new 20-bed medical ward, a lung disease centre and a gene therapy laboratory.


The extensive redevelopment has been funded in partnership between the Commonwealth and State Governments, with generous support from the Women’s and Children’s Hospital Foundation and the Little Heroes Foundation.


The new haematology and oncology facilities are named after the respected paediatric oncologist, Dr Michael Rice, who has been associated with the hospital for more than 50 years.


Minister Plibersek said, “The Michael Rice Centre brings together a place where children and teenagers with blood disorders or cancer can be treated.”


Minister Hill said, “The facilities include a special lead-lined room for children undergoing radiotherapy with a video link to a parents’ room. This physically isolates them to reduce the risk of radiation exposure for other patients and staff while still keeping them in close contact with their families.


“There are also two ‘negative pressure’ areas which allow for infectious patients to be nursed in isolation.”


The new floors on the Gilbert building also house the Breathing Space service which will assess patients with respiratory and lung illnesses as well as the new Allan Scott laboratory where research will continue into an airway gene therapy to treat or even cure the lung diseases associated with cystic fybrosis.

New Australian research has found eating fish may have the edge over fish oil capsules when it comes to lowering blood pressure, a known risk factor for heart disease.

Researchers from the University of Melbourne and Austin Health have come one step closer to understanding how our bodies regulate fat and weight gain.

Prime Minister Julia Gillard and the Minister for Ageing, Mark Butler, announced a 10-year plan to reshape aged care, beginning 1 July 2012.

The Gillard Labor Government will deliver the $3.7 billion Living Longer Living Better plan to deliver more choice, easier access and better care for older Australians and their families.

To make it easier for older Australians to stay in their home while they receive care, the Government will:

Monash University has announced new research that could possibly change the way health professionals treat Alzheimer’s disease, which affects over 35.6 million people worldwide.

The Victorian Government has announced a $35 million funding boost for the state’s hospitals to allow the purchase of replacement medical equipment.

The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) has released new data that shows the country’s mental health workforce is continuing to grow.

In a submission to the Medical Board of Australia (MBA), the AMA is calling on the Board to fund better access to doctors' health services across the country.

Australia’s top companies are failing to recognise and manage mental illnesses in the workplace. This is despite ongoing attempts at raising awareness in Australia to the dangers of mental health issues going unnoticed and untreated.

The Executive and full council of Unions NSW has voted to accept Michael Williamson's resignation as Vice President, and also to suspend the Health Services Union's affiliation until governance issues can be resolved.

The Federal Government has committed $71 million for a new building and facilities at the Monash Health Translation Precinct (MHTP).

A partnership between Monash University, the Monash Institute of Medical Research, Southern Health and Prince Henry's Institute, the MHTP is focused on transmitting research outcomes into the clinic as quickly as possible. 

The new MHTP facility at Monash Medical Centre will include a series of linked, disease-themed laboratories and clinical research units, and will expand to 800 the number of laboratory and clinical researchers accommodated on the campus.

Monash University Chancellor, Dr Alan Finkel, said the funding will result in the development of an academic health science precinct that will integrate medical research, teaching and health care, resulting in better healthcare, more rapid introduction of innovation and the training of a highly skilled health workforce.

Director of Monash Institute of Medical Research, Professor Bryan Williams, said the new facility would provide an exceptional opportunity to translate basic laboratory observations to clinical practice.

“It will provide medical research scientists with ready access to clinicians and patients and expand the international reputation of medical research conducted at the MHTP,” Professor Williams said.

Parliamentary Secretary for School Education, Senator Jacinta Collins, launched the second phase of the Gillard Government’s Positive Partnerships to provide classroom and family support for students with autism.

Scientists at the University of Newcastle have shown the potential of a simple blood-based test to identify people in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease, before any symptoms appear.

The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) has released its report into the medical workforce trends between 2006 and 2010, finding the number of practitioners in Australia increased by 13 per cent in that time.

The Federal Government has announced reforms to the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) that will reduce the prices of over 1000 generic drugs, with some prices set to drop as much as $15 per packet.

Sydney doctor and philanthropist Tom Wenkart has donated $4 million to endow the University of Sydney Wenkart Chair in Endothelium Medicine at the Centenary Institute.

The inaugural Chair is Jennifer Gamble, Professor of Vascular Biology and one of the pioneers of endothelium research.

Professor Gamble's work has already transformed our understanding of the role of endothelial cells.

"Fifty years ago we just regarded blood vessels as simple pipes," she said. "Today we know that they're much more complex - a living, changing organ that rapidly reacts to threats.

"You prick your finger on a rose thorn - within the hour the wound is inflamed and itching as your body mobilises to fight infection. That's the endothelium in action," says Professor Gamble.

These same endothelial cells are implicated when things go wrong in atherosclerosis and auto-immune disease. And tumours need endothelial cells to form blood vessels - without new blood vessels, tumours won't grow.

We each have within us some 80,000 kilometres of pipelines, that carry the essential supplies needed to all parts of our body. The endothelial cells that form this network of blood vessels are essentially a hidden organ weighing about one kilogram.

The endothelial cells maintain these perfect, smooth pipelines year after year but then, when there's an accident they turn into traffic police within minutes, allowing white blood cells to pass through the wall of the blood vessels, and giving emergency services access to the scene.

In 1985, working in Seattle and Adelaide, Professor Gamble showed that if endothelial cells are stimulated then white blood cells bind to them - the start of inflammation.

Now we know much more about the role of these cells in immunity, heart disease, cancer and other conditions. But Professor Gamble says it's still early days in this field of study.

"I hope that, over the next decade or two we'll be able to understand and control the endothelium in diseases — especially inflammation and those associated with ageing such as atherosclerosis and Alzheimer's."

Tom Wenkart says that's what excites him about this field of research. "These endothelial cells play a critical role throughout the body. I believe they're the key to understanding heart disease, for example. What is happening in my body today that could lead to a heart attack in 20 years?"

The Centenary Institute, University of Sydney is an independent leader in medical research seeking improved treatments and cures for cancer, cardiovascular and infectious diseases.

The Federal Government has announced it will invest $719 million to deliver improved primary health care and increase access to dental and allied health care services as part of the Strong Futures package.

An international team of researchers led by the University of Melbourne has used new technology to fast track the discovery of a breast cancer risk gene which could assist in the discovery of other cancer genes.

South Australian doctors are set to benefit from the state’s first doctors only clinic which is set to open in the coming week.

A full council meeting of the State's peak union body will tonight consider applying an interim Green Ban to work on a former James Hardie site riddled with asbestos at Camelia, in Sydney's west.