The health of patients with cataracts is being forgotten by both major parties in the debate about Medicare rebates for cataract surgery and for joint injections, writes Dr Tim Woodruff.
Hospitals
How much cash will the states get under the CPRS? Zero.
Unfortunately for those of us who ever rely on the public health, education or transport systems, the CPRS is estimated to cost state budgets more than $2.1 billion in 2013, writes executive director of the Australia Institute, Dr Richard Denniss.
Here’s how Rudd could resuscitate our public hospitals
In 2007, Kevin Rudd promised to fix Australia’s public hospitals if the states had not done so in a year. He would be foolish to blindly follow his National Health and Hospitals Reform Commission’s recommendations, writes David Penington.
Abortion in Queensland: an illegal ambiguity
Abortion is still technically a crime in Queensland. The longer Premier Anna Bligh hesitates to decriminalise abortion, the more she loses support from Queensland women, writes Professor Caroline de Costa.
Health reform report: big on efficiency but what about quality?
Many policy analysts (including myself) would argue that a Commonwealth take over of the whole caboodle is the way to go with health care. However, what is all this talk of “efficiency costs”? asks Gavin Mooney.
Pollies v doctors in hospital battle
Today’s national health report stops short of recommending that hospitals be completely 100% federally funded. Opposition leader Turnbull says it represents “one broken promise after another” from PM Kevin Rudd.
Diary of a Surgeon: The under-valued heroes of the health system
The Federal Government has recently approved and almost doubling of medical student numbers without much planning how they would gain the necessary clinical experience, and the so-called tsunami of students is now washing over the system.
We have 38% fewer hospital beds than in 1981: it’s a scandal
When there is a lack of beds, patients suffer. It’s that simple, writes Professor Peter Collignon.
Spin cycle: tasers in hospitals — who paid for the research?
The media went crazy for the Tasers in hospitals story yesterday, but they made one glaring ommission, writes freelance journalist Amy Corderoy.
Diary of a Surgeon: How to run a hospital — by the textbook
The turnover of senior managers in the public hospital system is remarkable, writes Guy Maddern professor of surgery at the University of Adelaide.
Diary of a Surgeon: Welcome to St Anywhere
St Anywhere is fictitious, but the events and issues are real. Guy Maddern reports from the emergency room.
Millions of dollars and 14 years later: is Australian health care any safer than before?
Almost 14 years after a study showed many patients are harmed as a result of their health care, we still do not know whether Australian hospitals are any safer today.
Why spending more won’t mean better health
Health outcomes and health outputs do not necessarily align, writes Patrick Bolton.
How drug companies are infiltrating public hospitals
Drug companies are paying undisclosed honoraria to doctors to have their sales representatives sit in on patient consultations, writes Dr Ian Haines.
Health debate must move beyond hospital crash repairs
It will be a wasted opportunity if the 2020 Summiteers can’t broaden the health debate beyond hospitals and health education, writes Professor Fran Baum.
It’s time to think beyond hospitals
Now that the problems of public hospitals have been “fixed”, can we please start talking and thinking about some of the country’s other, equally pressing health problems? Melissa Sweet writes.
Menadue blasts NSW Health Department
The NSW Health Department is again under fire with claims of administrative dysfunction and falling morale, writes Alex Mitchell.
Children’s Hospital: do you really want fries with that?
Melbourne’s Children’s Hospital is moving. Will they take the junk food with it, asks Melissa Sweet?
Rudd’s federalism: the sleeper awaits
Federalism is being ignored by both sides of politics in this campaign, writes Christian Kerr.
Tips and rumours
Yesterday’s “Tips and rumours” was spot on regarding Liberal MP for Latrobe Jason Wood’s illegal placement of signs. But an illegal sign is the least of his worries, there is talk that the phone campaign to Vic Roads to have the signs removed came from sources unexpected. It appears that some hard core Lib supporters […]
Smith: tax cuts the foundation for reelection
Tax, a three letter word, would have been met with four letter responses at ALP headquarters yesterday, writes Ian Smith.
Tips and rumours
Rivers of grog. Seems the NT CLP party were seen loading up their “rivers of grog” onto the plane on route to the Tiwi Islands restricted area by none other than the PM’s Northern Development Taskforce - will they come forward to make a police statement against the CLP MPs involved? Methinks not.
Victorian DHS Healthsmart […]
PM’s intervention a nightmare for Tasmania
This is a nightmare proposal for Tasmania — and for Australia. The Commonwealth gave up hospitals and handed back the Repatriation hospital years ago because they could not run them, writes a Tasmanian health insider.
