Latest health news
Patients urged to visit GPs
Julia Medew 5:56 PM Doctors are urging people to find a regular GP who they can trust and call on after hours to help stem a rise in unnecessary and costly hospital visits.
Worried parents swamp hospital emergency departments
Julia Medew and Rania Spooner Parents are swamping emergency departments with children suffering from minor complaints.
Gastro outbreak at Calvary Hospital as NSW cases spike
Alexandra Back Calvary Hospital has set up an isolation ward as it works to contain a gastro outbreak.
Gastroenteritis spike prompts warning
Kate Aubusson Nursing homes, child care centres and hospitals are all affected.
Reject syringes could cause 'public health disaster'
Julia Medew Drug users are rejecting a new batch of syringes in Australia's needle exchange programs, saying they're too blunt and that the tips are snapping off in people's arms.
Blood-borne viruses warning after cosmetic surgery raid
Kate Aubusson Clients of a Sydney woman operating as a cosmetic practitioner have been urged to see their GP.
Obese preschoolers' healthcare costs 60% more than healthy-weight children
Julie Power Obese pre-schoolers are two to three times more likely to be admitted to hospital and have 60 per cent higher healthcare costs than healthy-weight children.
Paramedic issued warning after winter uniforms complaint
Kate Aubusson and Harriet Alexander Paramedics who face snowy conditions will get winter uniforms, but the ambo who raised the issue has been warned.
Growing pains for field of epigenetics as some call for overhaul
Carl Zimmer 'We need to get drunk, go home, have a bit of a cry, and then do something about it tomorrow,' one prominent researcher says.
Paramedics denied winter uniforms
Harriet Alexander Snowy Mountains paramedics say when they asked for winter clothing, they were asked for proof that they needed it.
More measles cases spark fear of 'significant outbreak'
Bridie Smith Victoria is again on measles alert after two new cases were confirmed on Saturday, taking to 34 the number of infections recorded in the state this year.
Artificial pancreas may be only a year away
Bridie Smith People living with type 1 diabetes could soon be free of regular insulin injections, after researchers said an artificial pancreas could become available within a year.
'We didn't know our baby's organs were shutting down'
Kate Aubusson As Charbel's parents dressed the four-month-old in his christening gown they noticed his nappy wouldn't fit over his engorged tummy.
'Medical Weightloss Institute' under fire for dubious claims
Julia Medew Dr Thomas Goyer started his medical career recommending dubious erectile dysfunction drugs for a business that exploited Australian men. Now he is prescribing "breakthrough" medical weight loss plans that "reset hormones" with "no strict diets or gruelling workouts".
How bread has improved health
Cassandra Morgan Bread is better than ever in Australia, with a new report finding it successful in combating birth defects.
Doctor caught drunk allowed to return to work
Harriet Alexander A public hospital anaesthetist who was found in a drunken stupor after abandoning a patient mid-operation has been conditionally allowed to return to work.
Cosmetic surgeons Snapchat their patients' operations
Harriet Alexander Privacy was once sacrosanct in operating theatres. Not any more.
Costly health cover isn't always the best
Esther Han Caution urged at end of financial year as providers pull out all the stops to grab your money.
Federal election 2016: Death rates by electorate
Kate Aubusson and Inga Ting Turnbull, Shorten and Barnaby: whose voters live longest?
Why aren't we managing childrens' pain?
Rachel Rabkin Peachman Experts say that paediatric pain has long been underrecognized and undertreated, with serious long-term consequences.
The disgusting truth about germs on public transport
Bridie Smith Humans aren't the only creatures moving around on public transport. Bacteria are also riding the roads and rails. Which raises the question: what bacterial passenger did you pick up when you grabbed the handrail this morning?
When prolonging life is just prolonging death
Kate Aubusson More than one-third of elderly patients hospitalised at the end of their life received invasive and potentially harmful medical treatments.
Cancer patients outsourced, then 'mistakenly' charged
Harriet Alexander Public patients were surprised to be transferred to a private hospital, but then they received a letter with worse news.
How Rita helped her son's life – and her own
Kate Aubusson "Not many mothers get to test their unconditional love like this" says Rita Germanos.
Blood test developed to predict premature birth
Bridie Smith A blood test to predict the risk of premature birth as early as 18 weeks in to pregnancy can detect signs even before symptoms present, according to international researchers.
It's on: The debate NSW has been avoiding for 100 years
Kate Aubusson It took Anna Groth five days to get the emergency procedure she needed.
Pineapples could play key role in global superbug battle
Bridie Smith Pineapples are the latest - and strangest - weapon to emerge in the global battle against superbugs which are predicted to kill up to 10 million people a year by 2050.
New study could explain PMS
Rania Spooner Inflammation could be the long-awaited explanation for why millions of women suffer with premenstrual mood fluctuations, cravings and cramps.
When death is the first sign anything is wrong
Julie Power As many as four young people die without warning, without symptoms, every week from heart problems. In most cases, death is the first sign anything is wrong.
