Evaluating virtual support services as a patient safety net in regional and rural hospitals
A new virtual support model of care introduced as a clinical deterioration safety net in rural and remote hospitals is to be evaluated for its impact on patient outcomes. The Western NSW Local Health District’s (WNSWLHD) vCare Virtual Support model of care was introduced in 2019, an additional function within its existing vCare service. It […]
One in four eligible mothers not taking up paid parental leave
About one in four eligible mothers, and over half of eligible fathers, were accessing government-funded paid parental leave prior to reforms to the program being introduced last year, according to a new report by the Australian Institute of Family Studies (AIFS). The report linked 2021 Census data with Australian Tax Office data to examine the […]
Australians living longer but in need of more support, study finds
Australians are living longer but their impact on the healthcare industry is increasing, according to new research by the University of Adelaide. The study, led by Dr Liliana G. Ciobanu, and Head of the Psychiatry Discipline Associate Professor Scott R. Clark, was conducted by GBD Australia collaborators and examined Global Burden of Disease statistics from […]
Tasmania to introduce tougher penalties for people who assault frontline workers
People who cause serious bodily harm to Tasmania’s frontline workers will face six months’ jail time, with the state government introducing legislation into Parliament this week to provide better protections. The Sentencing Amendment (Presumptive Sentencing for Assaults on Frontline Workers) Bill 2024 seeks to amend the Sentencing Act 1997 to set a presumption of minimum […]
‘Believe in yourself’: Why I returned to nursing after a 20-year break
Victorian registered nurse Sally Baker’s life changed dramatically after discovering she had lipoedema, a chronic health condition often mistaken for obesity or lymphoedema. The connective tissue disorder, which mostly affects women, is characterised by abnormal growth of adipose tissue in the legs, buttocks and, sometimes, arms, resulting in a disproportionate body shape, often accompanied by […]