Nurses have expressed concerns about the limited shelf life of newly mandated international criminal background check documents new applicants must submit when seeking professional registration. Under new arrangements implemented by the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) earlier this month, any ...

The Australian Medical Association says the NSW opposition plan for nurse-led medical clinics to treat minor aliments won't relieve pressure on hospital emergency departments. But Labor leader Luke Foley is adamant the clinics will ease congestion at emergency rooms, and ...

A Queensland University of Technology researcher has shed light on the benefits other countries have seen from introducing a national program to monitor health-care associated (HAI) infection rates. PhD researcher Philip Russo said National HAI surveillance programs are associated with ...

New fathers are at an increased risk of experiencing psychological distress in the postnatal period, a discussion paper released by the Australian Institute of Family Studies (AIFS) states. Deputy director (research) at AIFS, Dr Daryl Higgins, said about 10 per cent of Australian fathers report ...

The Palmer United Party has thrown its weight behind the ANMF’s ongoing campaign to improve nurse to patient staffing ratios in aged care. ANMF leaders met with senator Glenn Lazarus in Canberra earlier this week and say the PUP senate ...

A breath test that could detect lung cancer is to undergo clinical trials in British hospitals. A spin-off firm from Cambridge University, Owlstone, has developed the Lung Cancer Indicator Detection (LuCID) device to detect chemical traces in breath which indicate ...

Public protection and patient safety are the drivers behind a new procedure for checking international criminal history. The approach, first announced by the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHRPA) in November last year, requires certain applicants and practitioners to apply for an ...

Australian scientists have found a way to hinder the pleasurable effects of cocaine by targeting a receptor that also plays a role in heroin addiction. A research team from Adelaide and the US has been testing a new medication, called ...

Pressure continues to mount on the federal government to rule out plans for any form of Medicare patient co-payment. The ANMF is now backing criticisms from senior Liberal MP Mal Brough of his own party’s approach to primary care funding. Brough ...