Chaos in general practice and funding gaps
Professor Louise Stone lays out a blunt view of general practice in Australia. She uses the Cynefin framework to map patient problems into four habitats. The simplest are known knowns: clear diagnoses...
Integrated Care
St Vincents appoints new CMO to drive home care
St Vincents Health Network Sydney has appointed Dr Chris Robinson as National Chief Medical Officer. He previously led as Medibank’s Chief Medical Officer for Customer, where he helped redesign mental...
AMAQ warns on broad immunisation changes
Queensland’s medical association AMA Queensland has raised strong objections to proposed changes that would alter who can administer immunisations. The plan would amend the Medicines and Poisons Regul...
Long GP appointments needed for mental health
Researchers published findings on mental health support demand in 2021. They compared people with a common diagnosed disorder to those without and looked back to 2007 data. The main finding is that th...
Data spine becomes core in health IT shift
Healthcare got complex not because software was missing, but because systems were not built to work together. The centre of gravity is moving to a data spine. This spine links EMR and PMS with platfor...
Dedalus ANZ appoints CMO to push prevention
Dedalus ANZ has appointed Dr Vinod Seetharaman as Chief Medical Officer. He brings 23 years of medical and leadership experience. The move aligns with a push to transform care beyond treatment, emphas...
Consultmed ties with Eucalyptus for Juniper care
Consultmed has been chosen by Eucalyptus to support Juniper, the weight management program. GPs can refer patients to Juniper through Consultmed, with full integration into practice management systems...
Delayed scurvy diagnosis in a First Nations child
A four-year-old First Nations Australian boy presented to dental services with speech regression and two weeks of right buccal swelling. After an oral abscess was drained and antibiotics given, his co...
GPs get domestic violence training in Tasmania
Tasmania’s Primary Health Network commissioned a fully funded workshop for general practitioners in the island state to boost domestic violence awareness and response. Led by Professor Kelsey Hegarty...
Care gap drives Australian hospital overspend
Late in 2025, the Prime Minister urged states to rein in public hospital spending as a condition for ongoing Commonwealth funding. States pushed back, noting rising demand, complexity and access press...
Link Found Between Limb Injury and Migraines in Australians
Research from Murdoch University shows a strong link between limb injuries leading to Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) and the development of migraines. The study involved 88 adults with CRPS in...
GPs to Play Bigger Role in Fighting Modern Slavery
The RACGP has responded to the NSW Department of Communities and Justice on efforts to combat modern slavery. They support the idea that GPs can help identify and manage cases of modern slavery, espec...
GP Paediatric Care Model Cuts Hospital Referrals
A new study from the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute shows that upskilling GPs in paediatric care can reduce hospital referrals and boost GP confidence. The model involves paediatricians working...
Aged Care Reform Faces Early Challenges in Australia
The Australian government is implementing the Support at Home reforms for aged care. Providers are sharing concerns about early issues with the rollout. Many find it hard to keep promises that existin...
Indigenous Health Leader Wins GP of the Year
Dr Raji Krishnan has been practising medicine for over 40 years, mainly focusing on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. She was recognised as RACGP’s 2025 GP of the Year at the GP25 con...
Australia’s Medicare Reforms Progress but Lack Impact Data
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...
Australia’s Allied Health Embraces Digital in 2025
In 2025, Australia’s allied health sector made significant progress in digital health. The government launched the National Allied Health Digital Uplift Plan in December, after consulting with over 22...
Australia Boosts Support for Veteran Care and GPs
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...
Tasmania Expands Pharmacist Prescribing and Cross-State Prescriptions
The Tasmanian government announced new reforms to expand pharmacists' prescribing powers. Pharmacists can now assess, initiate, and continue hormonal contraception, making it easier for women to acces...
Australia launches plan to boost allied health digital skills
The Australian Digital Health Agency and the Department of Health have launched the National Allied Health Digital Uplift Plan. It aims to improve digital skills and tools for allied health profession...