Category: Health

The first of the five focus areas identified by the Strengthening Medicare Taskforce is to have a reliable training and development pipeline, to build a strong and vibrant primary health care workforce. This is a logical and critical first step, but it is a well-known maxim that form must follow function. (more…)

NEW YORK – When US President Joe Biden asked the United States Intelligence Community to determine the origin of COVID-19, its conclusion was remarkably understated but nonetheless shocking. (more…)

I’m a recently retired specialist doctor and I keep an eye on medical affairs. They affect all of us, especially as we get older, and people still ask what I think. (more…)

The Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted weaknesses and disconnections within Australian Health systems which significantly impacted on our ability to reliably detect and respond to this outbreak in a timely, effective and efficient manner. (more…)

Much has been written of the 21^st century being the Chinese century in contrast to the 20th century being the American century. (more…)

If we want to improve the health of Australia, we cannot continue to under-use the largest workforce in primary health care. (more…)

I don’t read “The Australian” so I did not know until I received a barrage of emails from ‘anti-vaxxers’ lauding the wisdom therein, that on July 4 the paper had published an ‘Opinion’ piece criticising Australia’s response to the SARS virus. The article claimed that the incompetence involved warranted examination by a Royal Commission. (more…)

Just why is it so hard for politicians to see a better way forward in dealing with drugs in the community and to act on that vision? It is not for lack of evidence of what works to make things better and most of the community knows that. (more…)

Reducing the pressure on hospitals from patients who don’t require urgent and complex care requires reform of general practice. (more…)

With a new Government it is time for Health System Reform. In fact reform is long over due. (more…)

Forget war, climate change, famine and dysfunctional economics for five minutes, lift your eyes to the pre-dawn skies and see five of our planetary neighbours. (more…)

Australian hospitals are finding it increasingly difficult to meet legitimate, often critical demands for in-patient care. The money to do so is not there and staff shortages are critical. A combination of professional dissatisfaction re the standard of care they are able to deliver, has many health professionals deserting our public hospital system. Add in staff absences as a result of our pandemic and a severe Influenza season and we have the ‘perfect storm’ lashing our hospitals. (more…)

Australia’s public hospital system is having a hard time meeting the ever increasing demand for in-patient care. (more…)

Ending COVID public health restrictions reflects community sentiment. People are tired of COVID and want to move on. But the only way to protect our own citizens is to protect other countries. (more…)