The Better Access program, introduced by the Howard government in 2006 to improve access to treatments for common mental disorders, was controversial before it even began.
Articles by Melissa Sweet 
About Melissa Sweet
Melissa Sweet is a freelance health journalist who moderates Crikey’s health blog, Croakey, and prods members of the Crikey Health and Medical Panel to contribute articles to Crikey and Croakey.
She has been reporting on health and medicine for too long to mention, and is the author or co-author of various books. She has honorary appointments at the Sydney School of Public Health at the University of Sydney, and at Notre Dame University’s School of Medicine, Sydney. Melissa is a founding board member of the Public Interest Journalism Foundation, based at Swinburne University, and has helped establish YouCommNews, a website to enable community commissioning and funding of stories.
Tackling health waste is about more than ‘a few bad apples’
Too often we seem to forget in debates about our mythical “health system” that much healthcare is provided by private interests, whether private practitioners or companies.
Mind Games: what are the lessons from the mental health minefield?
What are the lessons learned on the hard road towards mental health reform? And amid all the debate, what does the future hold? The final chapter of Crikey’s four-part investigation into the vexed social and political issue.
Mind Games: Better Access for some, but reforms put others offside
Patrick McGorry and Ian Hickie may be considered revolutionaries by some, their headspace initiative and radical system reforms will come at a cost to some patients.
The psychological backlash against Hickie and McGorry
It’s not only psychologists at war over mental health reform — considerable vitriol is also being directed at the country’s most prominent psychiatrists, Ian Hickie and Pat McGorry. Crikey’s series on mental health reform continues.
Mind Games: the long road travelled on mental health reform
After years of neglect the federal government has shovelled billions of dollars into the mental healthcare system — but the debate on how best to spend it has just began. In the first of a four-part investigation Crikey surveys the long and bitter road towards reform.
Alarm over pharma-sponsored journalism at The Australian
Journalism leaders and researchers have raised concerns about a deal between the pharma industry group Medicines Australia and The Australian, which has led to direct sponsorship of health journalism.
The influencers in public health — and a call for helpers
Concerns are widespread about the influence of pharmaceutical and other corporate interests on health and medical research, education, practice and policy.
Health reform: how to get less of what may not be best for us
With so many forces driving more and more health spending, surely it’s time you set up The Less is More Institute to identify and advocate for initiatives to reduce the use of health services that are unnecessary, harmful or not good value.
Carbon tax: climate change policy critical for health, too
So what does the health sector think of the carbon tax announced yesterday?
Health reform: you wouldn’t wish it on a baby
If health reform was a baby, you’d have to say that it’s facing an exceedingly tough start to life.
Unpicking alarmist headlines about bowel cancer in young people
In recent days, the audiences of reputable media outlets have been warned of an “alarming” increase in bowel cancer in young people. It’s time to unpick those headlines.
Mental health: PM, Butler get credit — are professions up to implementation?
Prime Minister Julia Gillard and her Mental Health Minister, Mark Butler, have been praised for their role in the budget’s mental health announcements.
Big pharma’s big reveal: GSK will tell what it pays doctors
The Australian arm of pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline will work towards publicly declaring how much it pays individual doctors and other healthcare professionals.
‘Location disadvantage’ experiment yields results in Miller
“Locational disadvantage” has an enormous impact on the lives of residents in many Australian suburbs. But an experiment in Sydney’s 2168 postcode area is yielding results.
How medical, nursing unions are blocking rural health solution
In a few months, the University of Queensland will graduate the country’s first crop of home-grown physician assistants, but it is far from clear whether they will find jobs.
COAG health reform: a long road to … where?
So we have another “historic health reform deal” which is making loud promises while falling short on detail. Getting the agreement is one thing, writes Melissa Sweet, but there’s a long road ahead.
Memo, Peter Beattie: Consult before pushing simplistic prostate cancer screening messages
Before high-profile figures such as Peter Beattie hit the public stage pushing prostate cancer screening, they could do worse than read up on the subject.
Media tips for covering Arizona shooting, Australian floods
After the recent shooting in Arizona, the Dart Center for Journalism and Trauma in the US has put together some resources for journalists and news managers covering the shooting.
What will the floods mean for health, beyond a fear of snakes?
Hopefully, some nimble-footed researchers are gearing up to seize the opportunity (perhaps not quite the right word) afforded by the flooding that is now devastating Queensland and parts of NSW and WA.
MyHospitals site just a baby step, needs help to grow up
In health policy, it is rare to find an initiative that is universally blessed.
Caffeine Watch: be cautious of stories spruiking coffee as health tonic
Croakey has a confession: marketing campaigns promoting the health benefits of particular foods, drinks or components thereof generally bring me out in a mood-threatening allergic reaction. I won’t go into all the whys and wherefores right now — there is probably a book to be written, if it hasn’t already been, about myriad reasons why such health […]
Inside the Department of Health and Ageing: a document dump
A wealth of information about the structures, programs and processes of the Department of Health and Ageing has been released in response to FOI requests for the department’s brief to the incoming government.
The shot of PR that could undermine trust in public health policy
Should medical and scientific experts turn to spin doctors for advice when concerns are raised about their relationships with industry? A leaked email chain poses some important question for medical professionals, writes Melissa Sweet.
Is Twitter an essential tool for public health advocates?
I still encounter plenty of cynically raised eyebrows whenever I suggest that Twitter has become an essential tool for public health advocates.
