We started the week with a new proposal by the Grattan Institute to shake up the hospital workforce and allow nurses to take on more roles traditionally performed by doctors. But should registered nurses…
Health care is one of the top three issues of concern for Australian voters, but it
has received little attention in this election campaign.
Esther Simpson
So far in this election campaign, the Coalition has provided dollar promises for worthy projects but no new health policy initiatives. The government has mentioned one policy of note – to remove family…
Worrying about the number of medical intern places means we have lost sight of health priorities.
Al Power
The issue of training places for new medical graduates was again in the news last week when Health Minister Tanya Plibersek announced A$8 million to expand medical intern places in rural private hospitals…
Our man from Boston: Don Berwick (left) has had some things to say about the NHS.
Wikimedia Commons/HHSgov
One of US President Barack Obama’s key health advisers has just published a review in the aftermath of the Mid Staffordshire hospital scandal. Don Berwick’s review is both thoughtful and reflective but…
Universities could be oversupplying graduates in a number of key health fields.
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What if, after several years of studying in an intense degree program, you graduate only to find no jobs within your field? Since 2012, public universities have been allowed to determine the number of…
One-third of rural patients wait 24 hours or longer for an urgent GP appointment.
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If you live far from a city, you are likely to be in poorer health than your urban counterparts; you’re also less likely to use health-care services and if you do, you’ll have to wait longer for care…
The current fee-for-service model makes it difficult to contain costs and boost the quality of care.
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In the fourth part of our series Health Rationing, Peter Sivey explains why it might be time to abandon Medicare’s fee-for-service model. Teachers aren’t paid a fee for each lesson they teach, nor are…
Around 60% of complaints against doctors are about the quality of care that was provided.
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Health commissions and medical boards should publicly disclose the details of complaints against doctors when multiple allegations of misconduct or inappropriate behaviour are made, experts say. The call…
Nurses are providing many primary care services traditionally performed by doctors.
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With Australia’s population growing, living longer, and experiencing more disease and disability, there’s no doubt demand for health services will increase. But how are we going to pay for it? With this…
The recent rise in the number of GPs could be welcomed as addressing the shortage.
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Monash University demographer Bob Birrell is quoted in today’s Australian newspaper as saying the national doctor shortage is “a myth”. He points out a large recent increase in the number of GPs, a rise…
We need to reduce waste and inefficiency in the health system.
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The latest round of the health blame game is in full swing, with service cuts to Victorian hospitals, and neither the state nor federal government taking responsibility. Commonwealth and Victorian health…
The children with the greatest level of disease also have the poorest access to care.
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Data released recently by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare show the number of dentists has increased by 24% in the five years to 2011. There are now around 12,700 dentists in Australia, with…
The Commonwealth and Victorian governments blame each other for hospital budget cuts.
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As Victorian hospitals have announced bed closures, job losses and elective surgery delays over the past six weeks, cuts to health service budgets look set to significantly affect patient care in the state…
Some students come into medicine with a fixed idea of what they want to do – but this often changes.
uonottingham
Just before I finished high school, my local general practitioner suggested I consider medicine. But the thought of blood made me feel squeamish, so I went to university to do maths and physics, and to…
Taxpayers should get something in return for their investment – good doctors, where they’re needed.
UoNottingham
Almost two hundred medical students from diverse countries have just finished their medical education as full-fee-paying students. They’re now looking for the one year of employment (internship) they need…
Medical graduates need to complete a hospital-based intern year before they gain full registration.
UoNottingham
Amid Australia’s ongoing doctor shortage, the health system risks losing dozens of Australian-trained, foreign-born doctors because of a shortage of intern places. The Australian Medical Students Association…
It’s time to rethink Australia’s specialist-driven health workforce and rise to the challenge of chronic disease management.
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Data released recently by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare shows the nation’s health care bill is rising rapidly, from $77.5 billion in 2000-2001 to $130 billion in 2010-11. The largest increases…
Doctors are expected to be attuned to the latest developments in health care.
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Most doctors shudder at the sight of the growing mountain of unread medical journals gathering dust on their desks over months, if not years. They need not despair though, as there are less time-consuming…
The recent report of the Senate Inquiry into rural health services gave tantalising glimpses of how the future of rural health services should be. But its central theme is not new. The persistent and consistent…
Honorary Enterprise Professor, School of Population and Global Health, and Department of General Practice and Primary Care, The University of Melbourne