Health headlines

CVD patients can fly with confidence

Commercial aircraft travel is largely safe for people with cardiovascular disease according to a report released last week by the British Cardiovascular Society published in the journal Heart. The report covered a range of issues including the impact of “airport stress”, the impact of hypoxia in pressurised aircraft cabins, and recommendations about the timing of travel following a range of cardiovascular procedures. The report, Fitness to Fly for Passengers with Cardiovascular Disease is available by clicking here.

GP after-hours services not viable if incentives pulled

The planned withdrawal of $58m in incentives for GP after-hours work could threaten the financial viability of medical deputising services, according to a report in The Australian. The withdrawal of funding was flagged in the May budget.

Tasmanian medical graduates miss out on internships
Twenty Tasmanian medical graduates are likely to miss out on intern places in the State despite lobbying efforts to get the government to fund more intern places, The Mercury reported.

Coroner wants suicide statistics published like road toll

The SA coroner has sparked intense debate among mental health professionals and the media over his calls for suicide figures to be regularly published in a similar way to the road toll. According to a report in The Australian, he claims the suicide rate is currently about double the road toll.

Poker machines increase crime

A study from the University of South Australia has shown a causal link between poker machine use and income-generating crime in Victoria. Only drug offences had a stronger link to crime than poker machines, reported The Age.

Women misinformed about emergency contraception

In a survey of 630 young Australian women, less than half knew they could buy the morning after pill over the counter without a prescription, The Sydney Morning Herald reported. Close to two-thirds of the women surveyed believed birth defects could result if a pregnancy was not prevented after taking emergency contraception.

Posted 26 July, 2010