‘On notice’: Health Star Ratings set to become mandatory if industry fails to improve infant nutrition
Public health groups have welcomed government commitment to make Health Star Ratings mandatory if the food industry continues to drag its feet. After a decade of inaction, health groups have praised news that food regulators will make Health Star Ratings compulsory if the industry fails to reach 70% voluntary uptake by November next year. At […]
A big heart
This article discusses reflections from staff and family (who consented and contributed to this article); and provides an insight into clinical collaboration to assist a person accessing voluntary assisted dying (VAD) to become an organ donor. The NSW Voluntary Assisted Dying (VAD) Act (2022) allows an eligible adult to access medical help to end their […]
Rollout of nurse and midwife to patient ratios in Western Australia welcomed by ANF
After years of campaigning for safe staffing levels, nurse-to-patient ratios will be rolled out across Western Australia in October. WA’s North Metropolitan Health Service (NMHS) will begin implementing nurse and midwife to patient ratios across its general medical and general surgical wards. This first phase of the staged implementation will commence at the NMHS at […]
Gender disparity in loss of exercise habits
Forming a long-term recreational exercise habit as a young person has a beneficial impact on physical and mental health later in life, but some groups, such as females and academic high-achievers, miss out on these benefits disproportionately. A University of Adelaide study found females, people with low self-efficacy, reluctant exercisers, higher academic achievers, and those […]
Unions call for more practical details on right to disconnect
Unions are seeking more practical details around the new right to disconnect laws which come into effect at the end of this month. The right to disconnect award terms are currently being developed by the Fair Work Commission and due to come into effect on 26 August 2024. The new workplace right to disconnect passed […]
Online calculator assesses personal long COVID risk
An online COVID-19 risk calculator that helps determine a person’s risk of developing long COVID is now available and may help encourage health prevention measures. “While many adults don’t see COVID-19 as a big issue now, many are concerned about getting long COVID. “The chance of suffering long COVID increases with every bout of COVID-19 […]
‘Why would you do this to us?’: Northern Territory nurses and midwives rally against Middle Arm Industrial Precinct
In April, Northern Territory (NT) nurses and midwives, flanked by healthcare colleagues, stood on the steps of NT Parliament to voice their opposition to the contentious Middle Arm Industrial Precinct and its potential health and climate impacts. A Senate Inquiry is currently scrutinising the development, particularly the federal government’s $1.5 billion funding commitment, and most […]
Link between kneecap shape and osteoarthritis
The shape of a person’s kneecap could be an indicator of whether they’re more at risk of developing osteoarthritis, research shows. Yet the reason is not well understood, according to researchers from the Australian National University (ANU), who were left surprised by the findings. The ANU team set out to explore whether kneecap shape may […]
Unions call for 10 days paid reproductive leave to support women battling menopause and perimenopause
Australian women are being pushed out of the workforce early due to lack of support to deal with the symptoms of menopause or perimenopause, a Senate inquiry has heard.
Historic merger of nursing associations in 1924 lays foundations for ANMF
The Australasian Trained Nurses’ Association, with branches in New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia, and Tasmania, and the Royal Victorian Trained Nurses’ Association, which operated solely in Victoria, merged to benefit the profession in 1924. Both associations had long recognised the advantages of a merger, but various differences posed challenges. However, by June […]