Health
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Environment: 1.5 degrees of warming in 10 years
Not long ago it looked like we’d exceed 1.5oC in 20 years, now it looks like 10. Maybe sooner if politicians keep approving new fossil fuel mines and fields and the logging of native forests. Particulate air pollution kills 9 million a year. Continue reading »
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As another workforce review launches, what does the latest OECD health stocktake reveal?
The Federal Government has announced a review of current policies and programs that aim to promote a more equitable distribution of the health workforce. Continue reading »
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Domestic and family violence: brave men are vulnerable not violent
Australian national and state governments are very good at holding inquiries and releasing reports aimed at tackling wicked problems. Top of today’s long list is Domestic and Family Violence (DFV), where all governments combined to produce another National Plan last year: Continue reading »
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Drugs and alcohol aren’t even half the problem
Australia’s penal colony culture has continued into the fabric of all our public administrations, but most particularly Health, Education, Community Services and Justice. Continue reading »
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The care economy: Ageing is not a disease – who knew?
Becoming an Elder in many societies is a process of active shared engagement across the generations, and holding a meaningful and honoured place in one’s community. Sadly, that time-honoured community cultural process has been pretty much eradicated in modern westernised, market-driven systems of ‘Aged Care,’ such as dominate the Australian ‘market.’ Continue reading »
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Medicare is changing for the better
Last week another important suite of changes to Medicare came into effect. Since the election of the Albanese government, we have seen a willingness by government to introduce a range of policies designed to update and strengthen Medicare to position it better for the future. Continue reading »
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“Consistency” in MBS policy – a further unlevelling of the playing field
Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose. The Medical Benefits Schedule (MBS) Review Advisory Committee (MRAC) has been tasked with supporting “a continuous review framework that ensures the MBS is contemporary, sustainable, evidence- based, and supports universal access to high value care for all Australians. Good about time. Continue reading »
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Why does “Mental Health Reform” default to “Compliance and Control”?
‘Mental Health Reform’ has been a phrase bandied about for over 30 years in Australia. And while well intentioned, hopefully expressing the ‘Care and Concern’ felt by politicians, bureaucrats and health practitioners, it has always ended up defaulting to ‘Compliance and Control.’ Continue reading »
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New data shows the Commonwealth Government is not pulling its weight on hospital funding
The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare released its latest health expenditure data last week showing the Commonwealth share of government public hospital funding has declined to 41%. This will fuel state anger and make negotiations for a new funding agreement, to take effect in mid-2025, that much harder. Continue reading »
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Disability care is still all about us without us
Any talk about disability in Australia is very likely to quickly lead to mention of ‘the System,’ which controls everything in the lives of People With Disability. Continue reading »
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Crushing the human connection: Managerialism does not deliver good care
Australia began its National Carers Week (15-21 October), poignantly, the very day after the nation voted ‘No’ to a way forward to giving Voice to their communities, which Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples had asked for in the Uluṟu Statement from the Heart. Continue reading »
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Australia’s Covid-19 response inquiry: towards an integrated national disaster strategy?
The terms of reference for the Inquiry into the Commonwealth Government Covid-19 Response were released on the 21 September. Ostensibly the inquiry is “to identify lessons learned to improve Australia’s preparedness for future pandemics”. However, what if the next pandemic is nothing like Covid? And how prepared are we for other potential disasters? Continue reading »
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Private health insurance: and the rort goes on
There’s a government review of health insurance. Here’s why you haven’t heard of it … and what needs to change. Continue reading »
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Which way for school students with disabilities?
To truly serve all students, we’ll have to rethink how schools ‘do school’. Continue reading »
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Australia: High five for government inquiries designed to avoid action
Chat GPT can’t tell me which nation now has the most government inquiries running. But it says that common law countries – the Five Eyes, basically – tend to set up more of them than most. Australia must be high in the five. Continue reading »
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Let’s avoid more Covid disasters. The public already knows who to blame
During Australia’s Covid-19 pandemic response, some companies received billions in contracts made without tender, sometimes by ministerial intervention. It would be too much, of course, to hope that anything the inquiry into the pandemic response does to address this issue will be taken up with any enthusiasm by the Albanese government. It seems to have Continue reading »
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Health impacts of sanctions deleted from UN declaration on universal health coverage (with Australian support)
In the lead up to the high-level UN meeting on universal health coverage (UHC) Australia has joined the US, UK and the EU in blocking any acknowledgement that ‘unilateral coercive measures’ (sanctions) can have negative impacts on the achievement of universal health coverage. Continue reading »
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Rights are necessary but insufficient for the achievement of the full inclusion of people with disabilities
Two significant reports concerning people with disabilities are due be released. First will be the Independent Review of the National Disability Insurance Scheme and second, the findings of the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability. Underpinning both inquiries is Australia’s commitment to the United Nations Convention on the Rights Continue reading »
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Shadow boxing in the Universal Health Coverage debate
Shadow boxing around “universal health coverage” instead of “universal access to healthcare” in the UN General Assembly reflects deeper tensions around the direction of the world economy. Continue reading »
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From Biotech to AI
Can regulation of Biotechnology provide clues for the regulatory measures now required to limit risks in the use of AI? Continue reading »
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We’re going nuts, why wouldn’t we?
“It is no measure of health to be well adjusted in a profoundly sick society” – Jiddu Krishnamurti Continue reading »
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Health ministers maybe in office but seldom in power
The major barrier to health reform is the power of providers or at least their assumed power. Continue reading »
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Life at 80 is not about vegetating away
Each morning that I awake and feel OK, I feel glad to be still alive. Continue reading »
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Heading into trouble: Hazards of the Women’s World Cup
Much of the health reform urgings I have presented over the years have emphasised the importance of “prevention” and the paucity of attention it receives. Less than 1.2% of our health budget is spent on preventing health problems. OK, but what has this to do with the Soccer world Cup? Continue reading »
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The quiet champions of pill testing preventing “harrowing” deaths
You have only to walk into Canberra’s fixed-site pill testing site to have one of the chief criticisms of such schemes palpably refuted. Continue reading »
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It’s high time to let PHC nurses show what they can do
Australia’s primary health care (PHC) nurses are one of our health system’s biggest assets – but they aren’t working to their full potential. A recent APNA survey tells us that despite the widespread under-utilisation of PHC nurses, recent progress in using nurses effectively has virtually stalled. Continue reading »
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A new Aged Care Act cannot fix a broken system
Age 65 is no longer relevant to define older people in a new Aged Care Act. It was introduced by Bismarck in Prussia in the 19th century at a time when life expectancy was less than 50 and few people lived past 65. It was reinforced by the US Social Security Act under Roosevelt in Continue reading »
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DHAC review recommends improved strategic policy capability, data-driven metrics
The Australian Public Service Commission released the second capability review of the Department of Health and Aged Care on 18 August. While the review is not as scathing as the first review in 2014, it still sets out a challenging internal reform agenda for new Secretary Blair Comley. Continue reading »
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Climate and housing left on the 2063 agenda
The Albanese government is tiptoeing as if it has all the time in the world. Continue reading »
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On the Voice, supporters urged to be “loud and proud”
Campaigners for an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice to Parliament believe the referendum may be just 75 days away, and have urged supporters to step up, and be “loud and proud” in championing a yes vote. Continue reading »