I was profoundly amazed the moment I walked into the room back in 2018 where I was to have an interview with one of Peter’s support workers. My job was to be a personnel management adviser and my amazement became centred around Peter’s resilience and achievements, despite being in a condition that has the potential Continue reading »
Health
Climate change will soon be causing an additional 250,000 deaths per year worldwide – children are at particular risk. Only 4% of greenhouse gas emission reduction policies actually reduced emissions. Trust us, we’re doctors About 10 years ago I was reading a research paper in a café near Sydney University and I dropped it on Continue reading »
From smoking, to taxes, to cronyism, Rishi Sunak's party is desperate for us to forget everything that happened until just last month
The organisation Physicians for Human Rights Israel issued an urgent global appeal on 17 June on behalf of the children of Gaza, demanding “immediate and decisive action from the international community to prevent further loss of life and to address the dire and immediate needs of Gaza’s most vulnerable population”. The care and protection of children Continue reading »
We need to cut Mandatory Accreditation Reporting down to a quarter, and start delegating Trust to care providers, so they can get back to their Core Business. Only then will Aged & Disability Care, Mental Health, NDIS, and Community Health be able to achieve Person-Centred & Community-Building Care. Continue reading »
The health implications of media policy are wide-ranging but not usually front of mind in national debate, whether for governments, communities or even the health sector. However, the Albanese Government’s argument that gambling advertising is needed to sustain free-to-air broadcasters, while deeply problematic, is also an opportunity to acknowledge and address the unhealthy state of media Continue reading »
Over ten years ago, I wrote an article for the Guardian that argued it was time to slay a sacred cow: that the internet is a force for good. Many advised me against writing it, saying it would be read as the views of a laggard, but it became one of the most-read articles published Continue reading »
The glories of modern medicine are abundant: diseases once considered incurable are now within therapeutic range. Recently a new mechanical heart, developed by an Australian and weighing a mere half kilo or so, was successfully installed in a patient in the US. While its long-term effectiveness awaits proof, it has been hailed as a turning Continue reading »
Governments and politicians should be investing in community initiatives and addressing the social determinants of crime, and health, instead of focusing on “tough on crime” policies, according to two members of the National Network of Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated Women and Girls, Tabitha Lean and Debbie Kilroy. Tough on youth crime policies are short sighted Continue reading »
The conflict in Gaza has created both a humanitarian crisis and a public health emergency. Both are still worsening. Yet despite this, Israel is moving to declare UNRWA (United Nations Relief Work Agency) a terrorist organisation. This would massively reduce the ability of UNRWA to deliver (already totally inadequate) food, health care and shelter to Continue reading »