Unregistered 'IVF expert' charged

Julia Medew   A Melbourne man accused of pretending to be an obstetrician and gynaecologist with expertise in IVF is being taken to court by the Medical Board of Australia. 

Health blogger and app developer Belle Gibson hits back at 'bullying' critics

Allison Worrall   Belle Gibson, the popular health blogger accused of falsely claiming to have cancer, has blasted her critics for speaking out against her.

Surgeons speak out about crisis in NSW child surgery

Amy Corderoy   Desperate paediatric surgeons have taken the extraordinary step of writing an open letter to the state's politicians begging them to fix a crisis in child surgery in NSW.

Ancient gene a cancer weapon

John Elder   A gene that evolved with the first multi-cellular animals 600 million years ago has been found to control the survival of stem cells in the human bowel. This opens a pathway to regenerating the lining of the bowel in people with bowel disease, and in those who are undergoing chemotherapy.

Melatonin use for kids divides experts

Alana Schetzer   Medical experts are divided over whether it is safe to give children a naturally-occurring hormone to help them sleep, with some research revealing there could be a link between it and adversely affect development during adolescence.

Supporters turn on Gibson as cancer claims unravel

Beau Donelly and Nick Toscano   Aspersions have been cast at the claims of health blogger and app developer Belle Gibson, including that she suffers from terminal brain cancer.

Early detection of eye problems vital for diabetics

Henry Belot   Ophthalmologists and peak health groups are calling on Australians with diabetes to seek early testing and treatment for eye diseases, despite the approval of a new drug on Thursday.

Royal Australasian College of Surgeons appoints experts to review bullying, harassment in Australian hospitals

Julia Medew, Craig Butt   The Royal Australasian College of Surgeons has appointed a group of high-profile health, police and discrimination experts to examine its culture and concerns that bullying and harassment are rife within its ranks and inside Australian hospitals.  

New nutrition service to fight obesity in the ACT

Henry Belot   A new community-based nutrition service has been established in the ACT to counter obesity.

Surgeons vow crackdown on sexual harassment, bullying

Julia Medew and Craig Butt   The Royal Australasian College of Surgeons is vowing to stamp out discrimination, sexual harassment and bullying within its ranks as the Victorian Government launches its own investigation into allegations that whistleblowers are being punished.

Red Rooster accused of deceiving customers with 'nothing artificial' claims

Esther Han   Roast chicken chain Red Rooster has been accused of deceiving customers with claims its food is free of artificial ingredients and that nuggets are free of preservatives in its latest marketing drive.

Labor to mandate nurse-to-patient ratios in hospital emergency departments

Amy Corderoy   Every nurse in the state's emergency wards will be responsible for no more than three patients at a time under a Labor election policy released on Tuesday.

Prostate cancer mortality rate higher in Australia: study

Harriet Alexander   Australian men are among the most likely to develop prostate cancer in the developed world, and although the mortality rate has declined, it has not reduced as dramatically as it has in similar countries.

Advice to stay silent on sexual assaults slammed

Julia Medew and Craig Butt   The President of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons has slammed a Sydney surgeon's suggestion that female doctors who are sexually harassed or assaulted by their peers should stay silent to protect their careers.

Vitamins and minerals - are Australians getting the right amounts?

Dan Harrison   The first national nutritional survey in 15 years has found many Australians are not getting the right levels of nutrients from food.

Silence about sexual harassment in hospitals a major issue, doctors say

Julia Medew, Patrick Hatch and Steve Lillebuen   Sexual harassment is a major issue in Australian hospitals and victims are not speaking up because of inadequate complaint processes and fear it will ruin their careers, doctors say.

'If we don't do something we are going to end up with an inquiry into the disasters': mental health funding crisis

Amy Corderoy   Mental health care is heading towards a crisis in NSW with many of the state's psychiatrists likely to leave the public system this year because of "grossly inadequate" resources and low morale.

Sudden death of lawyer threatens to derail euthanasia campaigner's resurrection

John Elder   Euthanasia campaigner Philip Nitschke's campaign to win back his registration to practise medicine is in disarray following the sudden death of his pro bono counsel and fellow activist Peter Nugent

EXCLUSIVE

Kangaroo meat fails basic hygiene tests

Amy Corderoy   Kangaroo harvesters have been discovered not adhering to the most basic of hygiene standards, documents obtained under freedom of information show.

Gay couple win the right to use a family surrogate

Julia Medew   For the past four years, Andrew Brough and Simon Curtis' quest to have a baby has been a costly global mission.

Heart health research reveals seat of problem

Daisy Dumas   Put simply, albeit rather alarmingly, every hour spent sitting in front of the television takes 22 minutes from your life. And, no matter how much you exercise, the jury is still out on whether its effects counter those sedentary moments spent watching TV or, say, eating, driving, and, as many of us do for 40-plus hours each week, working at a desk.  

Doctors warn about alternative treatments after death of Wellness Warrior Jess Ainscough

Amy Corderoy   A surgical oncologist has said Jessica Ainscough, a young woman who shunned conventional treatment for a rare form of cancer, was a victim of, and complicit in promoting, dangerous therapies.

Young cricket fans soaking up booze advertising

Julia Medew   Children watching cricket games on TV are being exposed to thousands of alcohol promotions over many hours because of a loophole in the television broadcasting code, an audit has found.

Smoking while pregnant increases risk of cancer for daughters

Henry Belot   Women who smoke cigarettes while pregnant are putting their daughters at risk of developing ovarian and breast cancer, according to new research from the Australian National University.

WHO recommends Australians cut sugar intake

Henry Belot   New guidelines published by the World Health Organisation recommend Australians reduce their daily intake of sugar to 10 per cent of their total energy intake.

Children swamp emergency departments

Julia Medew   Young children and people aged in their 20s are visiting Victorian public emergency departments in greater numbers than the elderly, a surprising new study that calls for more resources to better match demand has found.

To help battle 'small penis anxiety', study determines 'normal' range for size

Nicky Phillips   Forget all the images you've seen in adult films and the 'lifelike' drawings scrawled on public bathrooms, there is now a scientific guide as to what constitutes an average penis size - and hopefully it will put some men at ease.