Skip to main content

News Ticker

Latest health news

'I just panicked': Woman tells inquest she had no idea she had hit and killed partner with car

Melissa Oates says she heard a "bang" and "panicked", but insists she had no idea she had struck her partner with her vehicle at high speed while he walked home late at night. But an inquest into Jari Wise's 2020 death has heard evidence at odds with her account.
Updated
A young woman and a man smile for a selfie while sitting in a car.

Passport Office mismanaged 'pent up demand' for travel documents, audit finds

The Passport Office will overhaul its passport application processes after an audit finds it knew there would be a surge in demand for passports after the pandemic, and should have planned for it.
Updated
Hands holding a stamped passport.

Mum's wish for diabetes kids as technology gives son brighter childhood

Anna Cozens says better treatment options for type 1 diabetes have given her son freedom to do more activities and she wants others to have the same access.
Updated
A woman with curly brown hair smiles, her young son has short brown hair and wears a red school uniform

They know it's harmful but young Australians still think it's cool to be tanned

Hearing "slip, slop, slap" and "no hat, no play" in childhood hasn't kept today's teens and young adults out of the sun. But there is hope social media campaigns can change attitudes about tanning.
Updated
Three young women wearing bikinis smile. A graphic of sunscreen, sunglasses and a juice are in front of them.

Trains to go slow, tradies to down tools and schools to keep kids inside during second Perth heatwave in two weeks

More scorching hot weather is on the cards for Perth, just days after another heatwave broke weather records across Western Australia.
Updated
Members of the public at a crowded beach during sunset.

'I heard this terrible screaming': Five years on, has anything changed since 13 children and young people died by suicide?

It's been five years since an inquest laid bare the chaotic lives of children, including a 10-year-old girl, who took their own lives in outback Australia. Are kids any safer now? 
Updated
suicide inquest graphic

What is passive vaping, and what risk does it pose to your health?

A doctor and public health expert weigh in on how to limit passive vaping exposure and what you can do to protect yourself in social situations.
A man vaping tilts his head upwards as a plume of smoke rises from his mouth and nose.

Promising new treatments for chronic low back pain should be covered by Medicare, say experts

Low back pain is the leading cause of disability but there's some big roadblocks if you want to get the best treatment, which focuses on the mind just as much as the body.
Woman holds her lower back as she sits at a desk

Launceston hospital former top doctor allegedly covered up causes of death to avoid coronial scrutiny, nurse claims

The former head of medical services at a major Tasmanian hospital allegedly falsified medical certificates of death, a registered nurse and midwife tells a parliamentary committee.
Updated
A women with blonde hair tied back into a ponytail looks towards the camera.

30,000 illegal vapes and tobacco products worth $1.1m seized in raids on Sydney retailers

Health authorities conduct a series of raids across south-east Sydney, seizing more than 30,000 e-cigarettes, cigarettes and flavoured tobacco.
Updated

What to do when elderly parents refuse to talk about aged care

Australia's aged care sector is entering a stage of "critical" reform. So what do you do when a loved one is hesitant to accept requisite care later in life?
A man in a hat during golden hour in Florence, Italy.

Tennis star reveals secret to more than 90 years on the court

Len Spence, 101, maintains his competitive edge when he meets a group of mates at the Mildura lawn courts for a hit of tennis. 
elderly man sitting down holding tennis racquet

Woman's husband administered morphine while waiting for ambulance

A man still grieving the loss of his mother in January says Tasmanian ambulance paramedics had to ask him to provide blankets and pillows to transport her safely and comfortably — meanwhile, an inquiry into the service hears apologies over long wait times and inadequate care.
Updated
Ambulance Tasmania paramedic at rear of vehicle.

Legally blind rodeo racer challenges views on disability with innovative storytelling

Barrel racer Megan McLoughlin surrounds herself with storytellers who understand her challenges to bring her story to life — and friends with bells and whistles to help her safely navigate the rodeo arena.
Updated
A close-up selfie of a woman on a horse in a cowboy hat and a man holding a large digital camera. 

Manly Sea Eagles player's collapse and death at training session caused by heat stroke, inquest hears

An inquest into the death of Manly Sea Eagles player Keith Titmuss hears the 20-year-old experienced exertional heat stroke and had a temperature of 41.9 degrees Celsius before his death in November 2020.
Updated
A Manly rugby league players stands holding an award.

Blood clots can be deadly. But this 'simple' 20-minute technique can save lives

Wollongong surgeon Laurencia Villalba's technique uses a catheter to "destroy" and "dissolve" pulmonary embolisms. Here's how it works.
Woman wearing navy surgery scrubs and hat smiling

What to do when the 'great November disease' lingers into the New Year

Working long hours can be stressful. While a break can help, what happens when the holiday is over, you've returned to work, and that sense of tiredness still lingers? 
Two healthcare professionals in conversation. Both are wearing scrubs. One woman is rubbing her eyes as she's tired.

'I'm pretty desensitised now': One year since alcohol bans returned, Alice Springs looks to future

A year on from Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's visit to Alice Springs, progress on alcohol-related harm and violence remains an uphill battle.
Updated
Empty liquor bottles and cans lay in the dry Todd River.

Have you been infected with COVID a few times? There might be something else going on

Four years since COVID-19 spread around the world, medical researchers are still studying the effects on human health.
Man in white shirt coughing or sneezing into elbow with white background

You can't put a price on health – but in Nick's case, it was almost $23,000

Nick Ham lost about half his body weight after spending more than $20,000 on bariatric surgery -- much of it paid for by his dad, who withdrew from his superannuation on compassionate grounds.
Updated
Nick Ham before and after weight-loss surgery.

Energy giant accused of breaches after lead exposure during power plant decommissioning

Sean Gibbons says he started experiencing fatigue, stomach upsets, pins and needles in his legs, and insomnia after helping decommission AGL's Torrens Island power plant. A blood test revealed he had lead levels three times higher than recommended. 
Updated
A man with a serious expression stands in front of a brick wall

analysis:Australia is awash with oligopolies and the impact is on your bank account

A report into soaring grocery prices, rising energy bills and steep airfares will be released on Wednesday. Its findings and recommendations will cause a headache for some of the country's biggest and most powerful companies, writes Adele Ferguson.
A person shopping at Australian grocery store, with a basket full of sparkling water, fruits and vegetables.

Blonde wigs and white bathing suits: Hundreds don Monroe look by the beach

What started out as a small community fundraiser with 50 participants has now turned into an event attracting hundreds of people, and even international supporters. The annual Marilyn Monroe Jetty Swim this year broke fundraising and attendance records.
Updated
Swimmers with blue floaties and blonde wigs in the ocean.

Major research funding for childhood brain cancers gives families hope

The federal government says up to $20 million will be made available over seven years to find treatments for childhood brain cancers, including Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG).
Eve Daher smiling with a balloon in the shape of the number eight.

Swimmers warned off two popular Victorian waterholes as mercury soars across the state

Swimmers are being warned to stay away from one of Victoria's busiest beaches and a popular High Country waterhole as extreme heat grips the state.
Updated
A long distance shot of people walking along a beach that curves around with trees under a blue sky

Health in your Inbox

Connect with ABC