19 Results

The health sector is reporting only on a very limited portion of the budget, rather than approaching all policies through the lens of health. Is this the right approach?

The government has today announced its long-awaited aged-care reform package.

Mental health and dental health were the clear losers last night. But will the other health announcements be a circuit breaker for the government? Croakey’s Melissa Sweet wraps the commentary.

Croakey wraps reactions to last night’s Budget from Australia’s health experts and community, covering everything from dental policy (or the lack of it), primary health care and alcohol policy and prevention.

The Health Department may be able to write a chook raffle policy, but it has few employees with much experience of running health services, and too many decision-making generic career bureaucrats without any clinical background, says psychiatrist Alan Rosen.

Croakey rounds up what the health commentariat is saying about yesterday’s big health debate between Rudd and Abbott. Looks like an acute case of “unimpressed”.

Australian policy makers could learn a thing or two from a landmark report aimed at tackling inequalities in health that was released in the UK yesterday, writes Melissa Sweet.

Systemic health problems don’t usually grab daily headlines, but the state of our national health system will nevertheless emerge as an important concern in the next national election, predicts Professior Ian Hickie.

The states have forfeited the right to run community health services, says psychiatrist Professor Alan Rosen. It’s time for a federal takeover and the establishment of “one-stop-shop” primary health care centres.

Is it too much to ask that health ministers question whether their policies further increase or decrease the inequities in access to good health and to health services? asks Melissa Sweet.

Pointing the finger elsewhere is no longer an option on alcohol policy, writes Michael Moore. Even Russia has declared a major campaign on curbing alcohol-related harm.

With an important case on medical abortion in the Cairns Magistrates’ Court, there is an urgent need for reform of Queensland’s archaic and repressive abortion laws, writes Dr Caroline de Costa.

MEANWHILE: Queensland passes abortion law reforms

More health care does not necessarily mean better health, writes Mary Haines.

A sound health policy will not just spend money, it will spend it wisely. The AMA’s latest policy hits all the politically-correct buttons but are we getting the best value for our health spending?

Crikey takes a look at the full health policy lists both parties have laid out on the operating table.