Medical leader Bill Glasson says the Queensland government is breaking state law by leaving mandatory Indigenous positions unfilled on two Brisbane hospital boards. The seats at Metro North and Metro South have been vacant since March 31. Glasson has called on Health Minister Tim Nicholls to make urgent temporary appointments. Nicholls said recruitment is underway to fill the First Nations vacancies in South East Queensland. Professor Tom Calma said the roles are critical given the large Indigenous population in the region.
All women will soon be able to get the pill and treatment for uncomplicated urinary tract infections from pharmacies at lower cost. The federal government has widened a 12-month trial that was first announced for concession card holders only. The trial is expected to start early next year. The government will cover up to $38 for a pharmacist consultation, and women will pay no more than $25 per script. Health Minister Mark Butler said the change would improve access and affordability. The Pharmacy Guild of Australia welcomed the move, while doctors raised concerns about possible misdiagnoses.
New nursing labs have opened at The Gordon's Geelong City Campus, giving 416 Diploma of Nursing students hands-on clinical training in simulated hospital wards. The Gordon chief executive Joe Ormeno said the facilities include assistive technology for deaf and hard-of-hearing students, wheelchair access, adjustable furniture and low-stimulation spaces. Deputy premier Gabrielle Williams said the labs are the first stage of The Gordon's TAFE Centre of Excellence in Disability Inclusion. Work on the remaining stages is underway, with the centre due for completion next year.
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Wyndham local David Hatfield says he was 12 when his mother was diagnosed with bowel cancer, and she died within nine months of a later liver cancer diagnosis. In 2025, Mr Hatfield, 48, was diagnosed with kidney cancer after an emergency visit to Stawell Hospital during a holiday in the Grampians. He says being diagnosed himself gave him a deeper understanding of his mother's experience. Ahead of Canteen's Bandanna Day on 29 October, he is asking people to listen to the stories of those affected and support the organisation's work.
The ACT Government is considering a new suicide prevention plan and will hold a roundtable early next year, following a parliamentary inquiry into men's suicide rates. Mental Health Minister Marisa Paterson said she welcomed a multi-partisan approach. Independent MLA Thomas Emerson criticised the government's response, arguing that several recommendations were labelled existing policy despite evidence of service gaps. He called for meaningful action on the inquiry's recommendations. No date for the roundtable has been set.
Local small business owner and father of two Grant Brisbin set off from his front door in Woy Woy on Tuesday, October 27. He has begun a multi-day endurance run to Canberra in support of the Leukaemia Foundation.
Medical historian Lindsey Fitzharris has written a new biography of Joseph Bell, the Edinburgh surgeon who inspired Sherlock Holmes. Bell taught Arthur Conan Doyle when Doyle was a medical student. Bell was known for diagnosing patients by their appearance, and he worked with police surgeon Henry Duncan Littlejohn on major 19th-century murder cases. In the interview, Fitzharris says Bell was more empathetic and family-focused than Holmes. The book, Sleuth-Hound: The Case of the Real Sherlock Holmes, traces the early development of forensic medicine.
Labor has described Payman's linking of a Haines-style attack to staffing allocation as outrageous. Payman has asked whether the Prime Minister is waiting for what happened to Helen Haines to happen again. Shoebridge has called for ethical Australian AI after a cyber threat warning. Lambie says Hanson has not personally apologised over a cartoon. A former Rio Tinto boss is set to lead a defence procurement watchdog, and the Farrer independent spent $1.7 million on a byelection campaign.
Advocates say stigma still stops drug users from getting health care, even though the ACT decriminalised small amounts of illicit drugs in 2023. Speaking at a Canberra memorial for overdose victims, Hayley Shaw described nearly dying from an overdose at 14 and her friend Daniel's death at 29, after he struggled to get adequate pain relief during cancer treatment. GP Ben Harkness said some users avoid mainstream services for fear of judgement.
Sydney researchers at Royal North Shore Hospital say they have developed a screening process that could detect coronary plaque before symptoms appear. The process uses blood samples and CT scans from more than 5,000 heart disease patients, and identifies five biomarkers. The team is seeking $8 million to speed up clinical trials and put screening kits into the hands of GPs across the country. Indigenous adults experience heart attacks at almost three times the rate of non-Indigenous adults, and people in regional and remote areas stand to benefit most.
A medical centre in Melbourne's north-west was extensively damaged by fire in a suspected arson attack early today. Police say offenders smashed a front window of the Shuter Street clinic in Moonee Ponds before using an accelerant and setting it alight just after 2am. About an hour earlier, two cars were set alight outside a Brighton home on Manor Street in what police describe as a suspected targeted attack. Police will investigate whether the two incidents are linked. An arson chemist will attend both scenes today, and anyone with information or dashcam footage is asked to contact CrimeStoppers.
South Australia's Ombudsman found child protection workers acted in error when they informally placed three children in the care of family members against their mothers' wishes. The SA Department for Child Protection removed the children without exercising formal statutory powers, disregarding the parents' clear and persistent disagreement. The Ombudsman's report noted the department used safety plans, which are ordinarily collaborative agreements, without the mothers' agreement.
Zoë King spent 20 years in the Australian Army as a Signals corps officer before moving into consulting and technology leadership. She now works with Defence and federal government organisations at Kinetic IT, focusing on Australia's sovereign technology capability. King says she joined the Army to find purpose and challenge, and that asking for help with mental health is a strength. She advises others to follow their values rather than copy another person's path. She also said empathy is a key leadership strength.
More than 80,000 Victorian Year 12 students are sitting final exams, with warnings that AI technology could make cheating easier. La Trobe University academic Therese Keane said exams must ensure students' work is their own, as technology evolves. She stressed the importance of maintaining confidence in the VCE system's integrity and transparency. While AI poses risks, it can also be a useful study tool when used responsibly, Keane said.
Researchers at Royal North Shore Hospital and the University of Sydney are developing a world-first screening method to detect coronary artery disease before symptoms appear. The approach combines blood tests for biomarkers with CT imaging. More than 5000 people have taken part so far. Sydney mother Jennifer Tucker found she had a severe blockage in a coronary artery after collapsing while pushing a pram. Researchers want to expand the program into rural and remote areas, where heart attack rates are higher and preventative care is harder to access.
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Students preparing for exams are being urged to swap energy drinks and sugary snacks for nutrient-dense foods, The Heart Foundation says. Dietitian Nikita Kelly said foods such as vegetables, fruit, wholegrains, legumes, nuts and lean protein can support concentration, memory and steady energy. She advised avoiding ultra-processed foods, which often contain added sugar, salt and unhealthy fats, and choosing options such as fruit or a handful of nuts instead of muesli bars. Kelly said healthy eating works best alongside regular physical activity, quality sleep, hydration and study breaks.
Retired Australian batsman Usman Khawaja has revealed he played his entire 88-Test career while living with rheumatoid arthritis, a chronic autoimmune condition. Speaking on ABC's Australian Story, he said he was diagnosed at 22 after intense knee pain, and that he feared he was going to die. Khawaja kept the diagnosis secret, even from close teammates. He went on to play more than 130 times for Australia over 16 years, retiring after the fifth Ashes Test at the SCG in January. He said others with the condition could achieve much too.
Personal wellbeing across Australia slipped 1.1 points between April-May and September, according to the Australian Unity Wellbeing Index. Satisfaction with safety, future security and standard of living fell further. National wellbeing took a larger hit, dropping 3.2 points to 54.8 out of 100, with the economy and government the weakest areas. Young adults and people on low incomes reported some of the lowest wellbeing. Housing costs stood out as the top concern for future generations, and the share of people expecting artificial intelligence to harm their lives rose 9.3 percentage points in four months.
Belgravia Leisure has introduced allied health services at three of its Canberra recreation centres, so people can book physiotherapy, exercise physiology and dietetics around their workouts. A physiotherapist is available at Stromlo, and an exercise physiologist and dietitian are based at Gungahlin. Sessions are open to the whole community, not only members. Patients managing chronic conditions can access discounted rates through a GP care plan, and eligible people can use Medicare, DVA, NDIS, HICAPS or workers' compensation. Belgravia says all its allied health staff are accredited.
