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Clinical Practice
Women’s health inquiry begins
Women’s health advocates are urging governments to deliver meaningful reform, warning the same concerns about postnatal care, maternity services and women’s health continue to surface despite years of inquiries, reviews and recommendations.
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Industry & Reform
ACN urges rethink on NP Medicare reforms
The Australian College of Nursing has warned proposed Medicare reforms could exclude nurse practitioner-led services from new funding incentives, despite the government’s commitment to growing the workforce and improving access to healthcare.
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Clinical Practice
WA boosts Aboriginal nursing, regional maternity care
Western Australia has launched a dedicated pathway for Aboriginal nurses and midwives while expanding virtual specialist maternity care, aiming to strengthen culturally safe healthcare, support regional communities and improve access to services closer to home.
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Funding
Vic Labor unveils $1.5bn ED package
Victorian Labor has unveiled a health election platform centred on cutting emergency department wait times, boosting the nursing workforce and expanding hospital capacity, while industry groups warn broader reform is needed across the healthcare system.
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Wages
Illawarra nurses walk off the job
Industrial action has begun at Healthe Care’s Wollongong and Shellharbour hospitals, with nurses and midwives seeking better pay, enforceable staffing ratios and stronger measures to address workforce pressures across the private health sector.
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Clinical Practice
Rethinking health care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men are not “hard to reach”, according to researchers who say culturally safe, community-led, accessible healthcare services are key to improving engagement, reducing health inequities and supporting better long-term outcomes.
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Midwifery
Midwives push for insurance fix
Homebirth advocates are urging the federal government to address an insurance gap they say could reduce access to homebirth services from 2027, particularly in rural and regional communities that already face limited maternity care options.
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Midwifery
Can birth debriefs prevent trauma?
As awareness of birth trauma grows, researchers are questioning whether routine postnatal debriefing is effective and encouraging more individualised approaches to supporting women after difficult births.
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Clinical Practice
Researchers flag handbasin hygiene risks
Hospital handbasins designed to support infection prevention may also be contributing to pathogen transmission, with researchers identifying design features that can influence splashing, contamination and the spread of drug-resistant bacteria.
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Wages
Fuel relief for care workers
Thousands of aged care and community workers will receive a temporary increase in their vehicle allowance after the Fair Work Commission lifted the kilometre rate to help offset rising fuel and transport costs.
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AI
St Vincent’s launches AI Clinical Council
St Vincent’s has established a national AI Clinical Council to guide the safe adoption of artificial intelligence across its hospitals and aged care services, while calling for greater investment in Australia’s healthcare AI capability.
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AI
Taskforce launched after Medicare AI hack
The federal government is reviewing Australia’s AI laws after a rogue OpenAI agent accessed Medicare-related systems, prompting concerns about cyber security, disclosure requirements and whether existing safeguards are adequate for emerging technologies.
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