Q85 Medical and Other Health Care Services

Hockey, Abbott split on GP fee

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 6 : 28-Nov-14

The future of the Australian Government’s proposed $A7 Medicare co-payment remains uncertain. Prime Minister Tony Abbott is believed to want to abandon the controversial policy, although Treasurer Joe Hockey and Health Minister Peter Dutton are keen to pursue its implementation. Dutton has warned that Medicare must be sustainable. Senator Ian Macdonald is among the Coalition members who oppose the co-payment

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF HEALTH, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF HUMAN SERVICES. MEDICARE AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF DEFENCE, AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, ASC PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN GREENS

Future fund at risk without $7 GP fee

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Original article by Joanna Heath
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 6 : 27-Nov-14

The Australian Government’s decision to no longer pursue the $A7 co-payment for visits to general practitioners in the hostile Senate may also jeopardise the proposed Medical Research Future Fund. Its funding had been tied to the revenue to come from the abandoned measure, and the Department of Finance says it has no other source. Health Minister Peter Dutton previously said the fund would still be created, but with reduced resources. A Medical Research Future Fund Action Group lobbying body contains the CEOs of UBS, Wesfarmers and ASX

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FINANCE, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF HEALTH, ASX LIMITED – ASX ASX, WESFARMERS LIMITED – ASX WES, UBS HOLDINGS PTY LTD

Cancer therapy worth cost, doctors say

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Original article by Amy Corderoy
The Sydney Morning Herald – Page: 15 : 27-Nov-14

Dion Forstner, the Royal Australian & New Zealand College of Radiologists’ faculty of radiation oncology dean, claims that under-resourcing by the Australian Government means many cancer sufferers cannot access potentially life-saving intensity-modulated radiation therapy. The body is lobbying the federal Medical Services Advisory Committee on the issue. Treatment rates in the UK have been lifted substantially after the Government set up a special funding vehicle with Stg23m

CORPORATES
THE ROYAL AUSTRALIAN AND NEW ZEALAND COLLEGE OF RADIOLOGISTS, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF HEALTH, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF HEALTH. MEDICAL SERVICES ADVISORY COMMITTEE

Immediate treatment offers best healing chance: doctors

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Original article by Amy Corderoy
The Sydney Morning Herald – Page: 3 : 26-Nov-14

Anthony Cross, president of the Australasian College of Emergency Medicine, has commented on a sports injury suffered by a cricket player. He said the immediate medical treatment Phil Hughes received after the incident was significantly boosting his chances of recovering from the head trauma. Cross noted that helmets usually protect cricketers from the sort of impact seen in vehicle accidents or as a result of alcohol-fuelled violent assaults

CORPORATES
THE AUSTRALASIAN COLLEGE FOR EMERGENCY MEDICINE

Help for GPs to spot violence

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Original article by Cathy O’Leary
The West Australian – Page: 11 : 25-Nov-14

The Women’s Law Centre of Western Australia has released a toolkit to assist the state’s GPs in dealing with cases of suspected domestic violence. It provides GPs with advice on issues such as taking notes that may be used in legal action and the mandatory reporting of domestic violence cases. A spokeswoman for the centre, Heidi Guldbaek, notes that one woman in Australia dies every week as a result of domestic violence

CORPORATES
WOMEN’S LAW CENTRE OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA INCORPORATED, AUSTRALIAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION (WESTERN AUSTRALIA)

End of an era for Primary Health Care as founder ‘Dr Ed’ Bateman retires

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Original article by Damon Kitney
The Australian – Page: 19 : 25-Nov-14

The 2014 AGM of Primary Health Care will hear that founder and MD Edmund Bateman is planning to retire soon, due to ill health. The medical centres as well as pathology and radiology services operator has engaged Sheldon Harris Management Consulting to identify a successor, and among the internal frontrunners are sons Henry and James Bateman. Their father has been at the helm for some three decades, and suffered his main setback when the acquisition of rival Symbion coincided with the start of the global financial crisis in 2008

CORPORATES
PRIMARY HEALTH CARE LIMITED – ASX PRY, SYMBION HEALTH LIMITED, AUSBIL DEXIA LIMITED, UBS HOLDINGS PTY LTD, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, SWIMMING AUSTRALIA, SHELDON-HARRIS PTY LTD, RUSSELL REYNOLDS ASSOCIATES INCORPORATED, SPENCER STUART AND ASSOCIATES

A litany of the nation’s bad habits

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Original article by Dan Harrison
The Age – Page: 10 : 25-Nov-14

Using data from the "National Drug Strategy Household Survey" conducted in the second half of calendar 2013, the Australian Institute of Health & Welfare has issued its latest snapshot of harmful behaviour. Over 40% of Australians drink excessive amounts of alcohol, smoke cigarettes on a daily basis or consume illegal drugs. The rates are 100% higher in remote regions. Smoking is more prevalent among the poor and Aborigines, while alcohol abuse is more common among the rich

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN INSTITUTE OF HEALTH AND WELFARE

Alcohol risks for young a big concern

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Original article by Cathy O’Leary
The West Australian – Page: 8 : 24-Nov-14

A survey carried out on behalf of the McCusker Centre for Action on Alcohol & Youth has found that 94 per cent of adults in Western Australia are concerned about excessive alcohol consumption by the state’s youth. Some 92 per cent of respondents said drug and alcohol education programs should be held in schools on a regular basis, while 50 per cent believe that governments are taking sufficient action to address the issue of binge drinking

CORPORATES
McCUSKER CENTRE FOR ACTION ON ALCOHOL AND YOUTH, CURTIN UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY. NATIONAL DRUG RESEARCH INSTITUTE

Medibank pressure to perform

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Original article by Jessica Gardner
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 8 : 24-Nov-14

The Australian Government will gain $A5.7bn from the sale of Medibank Private, after the institutional bookbuild price was set at $A2.15 per share. Jan van der Schalk of CLSA values the health fund at between $A1.55 and $A1.64 per share, noting that Medibank’s management will face a lot of pressure to achieve results due to the high issue price for the stock. Retail investors will pay $A2 per share for Medibank stock, which will debut on the sharemarket on 25 November 2014

CORPORATES
MEDIBANK PRIVATE LIMITED – ASX MPL, CLSA AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, ARGO INVESTMENTS LIMITED – ASX ARG, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FINANCE, AUSTRALIAN ETHICAL INVESTMENT LIMITED – ASX AEF, JAPARA HEALTHCARE LIMITED – ASX JHC, NIB HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NHF, RAMSAY HEALTH CARE LIMITED – ASX RHC, HEALTHSCOPE LIMITED – ASX HSO

Stem cell trial set for children with cerebral palsy

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Original article by Kate Hagan
The Age – Page: 8 : 24-Nov-14

Iona Novak, head of research at the Cerebral Palsy Alliance in Australia, has announced a new clinical trial of a therapy using umbilical cord blood infusions. About 20 children aged up to 10 years will take part in the study to be co-ordinated by the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute. Meanwhile the Royal Australasian College of Physicians is urging parents of children with cerebral palsy against unproven stem cell treatments offered in countries such as Panama, China, India and Russia

CORPORATES
CEREBRAL PALSY ALLIANCE, MURDOCH CHILDREN’S RESEARCH INSTITUTE, THE ROYAL AUSTRALASIAN COLLEGE OF PHYSICIANS