Category Archives: Hospitals

What are the health implications of building more prisons?

May 16, 2012 – 1:51 pm

Update, May 22: Extra material has been added at the bottom of this post about an assessment of the likely impact of a new correctional facility in Gatton, Queensland. *** Health journalists (and our audiences) might get better stories come budget time if we looked beyond the health department papers. That is one of the [...]

By Melissa Sweet | Also posted in education, evidence-based issues, Federal Budget 2012-2013, health impact assessment, Health inequalities, illicit drugs, Indigenous health, public health, social determinants of health | Tagged , , , | Comments (0)

Where is the health sector when it comes to addressing poverty?

May 7, 2012 – 11:16 am

The Government’s pre-budget announcement of dental health funding is generating plenty of commentary from various health groups. The Consumers Health Forum is largely welcoming of the dental announcement, although noting some of the obstacles ahead, including that over 80% of Australia’s dentists work in private practice. The Doctors Reform Society is making similar “this is [...]

By Melissa Sweet | Also posted in dental care, Federal Budget 2012-2013, Health inequalities, health reform, mental health, social determinants of health | Tagged , , , , , | Comments (1)

A leader’s reflection on health reform: the merits of “muddling through” and more

April 11, 2012 – 2:22 pm

Professor Stephen Leeder – public health expert, blogger and poet (amongst other things) – has been chair of the Western Sydney Local Health District for the past year. In the article below, you can find out what the experience has taught him so far – about governance, the people who work in health care, the value [...]

By Melissa Sweet | Also posted in health reform, Medicare Locals | Tagged , , | Comments (0)

Primary health care: when and where did it all begin?

April 5, 2012 – 2:44 pm

Continuing the primary health care theme of the previous post, health policy expert Professor Philip Davies investigates the history of the terms “primary care” and “primary health care” – a topical matter given the legal action recently dropped by Primary Health Care Ltd. *** Tracking the long history of primary health care Philip Davies writes: After [...]

By Melissa Sweet | Also posted in general practice, Journal articles, legal issues, Medicare Locals, primary health care | Tagged , | Comments (0)

Who is doing what in primary health care reform? And what can we learn from the most promising Medicare Locals?

April 5, 2012 – 12:18 pm

With so much expectation being placed upon primary health care reform and Medicare Locals, what can we learn from those of the new organisations that are expected to be pack-leaders? That was the question I was asking when researching this piece just published by the online publication Inside Story (which also recently appeared as part [...]

By Melissa Sweet | Also posted in general practice, Health inequalities, health reform, Indigenous health, Medicare Locals, primary health care, social determinants of health | Tagged , , , | Comments (0)

The next Queensland Government has some heavy lifting to do in health

March 21, 2012 – 10:20 am

A major challenge for the next Queensland Government will be to address systemic problems within the health sector, says Professor Andrew Wilson, Executive Dean of the Faculty of Health at Queensland University of Technology (and who has previously held senior positions within the Queensland and NSW health departments). In the article below (cross-posted from The [...]

By Melissa Sweet | Also posted in health reform, primary health care, rural and remote health | Tagged , , | Comments (2)

A welcome development: public disclosure of infection control performance of hospitals

March 20, 2012 – 8:50 am

The recent release of data about how well hospitals perform when it comes to ensuring staff wash their hands drew widespread media coverage. In the article below, Professor Lyn Gilbert, an infectious diseases physician and clinical microbiologist with a strong interest in preventing healthcare-associated infections, provides some of the wider historical context. *** Making sense of [...]

By Melissa Sweet | Also posted in evidence-based issues, infectious diseases, MyHospitals website, quality and safety of health care, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | Comments (2)

Latest wrap of health and medical reading from The Conversation

February 7, 2012 – 9:44 am

Thanks to Fron Jackson-Webb for providing this latest wrap of reading from The Conversation (http://theconversation.edu.au/). It includes articles about universities teaching complementary medicine, the Medicare Safety Net, new research on caesarean sections, e-prescriptions and hospital errors, and urban development. You can also read an article from The Conversation’s editor, Andrew Jaspan, on mining magnate Gina [...]

By Melissa Sweet | Also posted in adverse events, childbirth and maternity services, complementary medicines, e-health, environmental health, health reform, Media-related issues, public health, road safety, The Conversation, Uncategorized | Comments (1)

What did Minister Roxon achieve? Some wins. But the ambulance is still parked below the cliff

January 20, 2012 – 12:29 pm

When asked to assess Nicola Roxon’s tenure as Health Minister, Croakey contributors gave varying responses (see here and here) late last year. However, there was fairly wide agreement that she will be best remembered for her achievements in public health, especially tobacco control, where she helped to make Australia a world-leader in passing legislation mandating [...]

By Melissa Sweet | Also posted in alcohol, diabetes, general practice, health reform, mental health, National Preventive Health Agency, plain packaging, public health, tobacco control | Tagged , , , , , | Comments (2)

A rather large wrap of recent Croakey articles: public health, health reform, media coverage of health and more

January 11, 2012 – 10:25 am

As previously mentioned, Croakey readers are welcome to sign up for (rather irregular) summaries of posts. If you’d like to join the mailing list, please send your email or leave it below. Here is the latest compilation, covering from 6 October – December 23, 2011. The latest readership figures are now also available, showing that [...]

By Melissa Sweet | Also posted in abortion, alcohol, cancer, child health, childbirth and maternity services, climate change, complementary medicines, conflicts of interest, consumer health information, death and dying, dental care, evidence-based issues, Food, global health, health and medical research, health financing and costs, Health inequalities, health reform, health workforce, Indigenous health, infectious diseases, Media Doctor Australia, Medicare Locals, mental health, MyHospitals website, obesity, pain, palliative care, pharmacy, physical activity, prevention, primary health care, public health, quality and safety of health care, rural and remote health, SensaSlim, social determinants of health, social media and healthcare, TGA, The Conversation, tobacco control, vaccination, vaccines, WHO | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments (0)