Australia's free childhood vaccination program for rotavirus has dramatically cut the illness in young children. The vaccine was introduced into the national immunisation program in 2007, with the aim of decreasing the social and economic burden of rotavirus. The program ...

NSW hospital waiting times have dropped despite more patients, new data shows. About 636,000 people were admitted to emergency departments between October and December, up 3 per cent on the same period a year earlier, the Bureau of Health Information stated. ...

Nurse groups have labelled the Australian Human Rights Commission’s landmark Forgotten Children report, the clearest evidence yet that the Australian government must rethink its policies regarding the detention of children in immigration facilities. In the wake of the report – ...

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 ...

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 ...

The federal government is to commit $54.5 million over four years towards dementia support services for the establishment of a number of new Severe Behaviour Response Teams (SBRT). In a statement, assistant minister for social services Mitch Fifield explained that ...

Patients who have short GP appointments are no more likely to be bulk-billed than those who have longer appointments, a study has found. The survey of nearly 2500 Australians, published in the Medical Journal of Australia, found there was no ...

Nurses and doctors have welcomed a government pledge for greater consultation with the health professions following the Coalition’s backdown on its controversial plans to slash rebates for shorter GP consultations. From next week, a scheduled change to standard, time-based GP ...