Australian oncologists are under significant stress due to a growing demand for cancer care. The system is struggling because there are not enough positions and many oncologists work part-time or in f...
The PBAC is close to deciding whether weight-loss drugs like semaglutide will be added to Australia's PBS. Currently, many patients pay up to $5000 a year for private prescriptions of GLP-1 therapies....
The Australian Department of Health, Disability and Ageing released a progress update on the Strengthening Medicare reforms. So far, 57% of the 47 measures have been completed, including bulk billing...
The states in Australia have rejected the federal government’s $23 billion offer for public hospital funding. They say the deal doesn’t meet their needs and want a contribution of 42.5% from the Commo...
The Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) has maintained strict requirements for general practitioners’ continuing professional development (CPD). These rules include activities tha...
In 2024-25, 90% of public hospital emergency department presentations in Australia were completed within 11 hours and 16 minutes. This is three hours and 16 minutes longer than in 2020-21, when 90% of...
In 2025, artificial intelligence became a core part of digital health in Australia. AI is now embedded in many health systems, including clinical documentation, imaging, coding, scheduling, triage, an...
Australia’s aged care sector prepared for major reforms in 2025 with the introduction of the new Aged Care Act and Support at Home program. The legislation came into force on November 1, replacing leg...
The RACGP is adding an international medical graduate (IMG) to its Future Governance Committee in 2026. This move aims to include diverse perspectives, especially since over half of Australian GPs are...
The Medical Board of Australia has decided not to proceed with mandatory health checks for older doctors. Last year, they considered requiring doctors over 70 to have health checks every three years,...
The Medical Board of Australia has decided not to require doctors over 70 to undergo mandatory health checks. This change follows strong opposition from the medical community, including the AMA, which...
The NSW government has temporarily relaxed prescription rules during the bushfire season. Patients in affected areas can now access a limited supply of essential medications without a prescription. Th...
Three primary health networks in Western Sydney — WentWest, South Western Sydney PHN, and Blue Mountains Nepean PHN — are working on a five-year plan to boost the number of GPs. The region faces a gro...
The Australian government plans to launch a new national program called Thriving Kids in July 2026. It targets children aged eight and under with developmental delays or autism who have low to moderat...
The Australian government announced plans to increase support for GPs who treat veterans. They will update the fee schedule for medical report writing to better match actual costs and other jurisdicti...
The Australian government is considering measures to curb high specialist fees, especially for non-GP doctors. The Health Minister, Mark Butler, says out-of-pocket costs are too high and plans to intr...
Cohealth has started a review process after facing funding cuts and service closures. The review was announced quickly, with a deadline set for 28 February 2026. Cohealth is inviting clients and commu...
The RACGP has submitted a plan to strengthen the Thriving Kids initiative. It emphasises the role of GPs in early childhood care, especially in the first 2000 days of life. The plan recommends a consi...
Cohealth, a community health provider in Melbourne, announced it will close three centres by 19 December due to financial difficulties. Despite having $27 million in cash assets, it claims it cannot s...
Dr Libby Hindmarsh received the first Morton Rawlin Award from RACGP for her work on family abuse and violence. She has led efforts to help GPs recognise and respond to these issues, including co-edit...
