Latest

Health workforce 7 April 2026

Sexual harassment in medicine: healing global medical cultures

Over the last decade, I have worked with a team of editors and authors on an international book on sexual harassment in medicine, which has been published by Cambridge University Press. It has been a long, sometimes surprising and deeply disturbing analysis of a complex problem with world-wide ramifications.

Lead image 2025 07 03 T120404 471
Mental health 7 April 2026

Referring to psychologists: why “fit” matters

A psychologist colleague recently described a session with a new patient. When she asked why the person had been referred to her, the patient replied: “My GP said you were such a lovely person.” I’m sure she is. But it raises a clinical question: is “lovely” really a sufficient basis for referral, given the range and complexity of presentations seen in general practice?

Lead image 2026 02 04 T102529 314
Vaccination 7 April 2026

Time to upgrade the tetanus shot to include pertussis control

If you work in an emergency department, giving “tetanus shots” is routine. Dirty laceration, dog bite, gardening injury — we clean the wound, assess tetanus risk, check the record (or try to), and administer a booster when it is due.

Lead image 2026 04 02 T091210 756
Health policy 30 March 2026

The National Health Reform Agreement is a step forward, but still not enough

Australia’s public hospitals are the backbone of our health system — the places Australians turn to in moments of crisis, vulnerability, and profound need. Yet the findings of the Australian Medical Association’s 2026 Public Hospital Report Card make one thing abundantly clear: our public hospitals remain under severe and sustained strain. Despite the extraordinary efforts of doctors, nurses, and other health workers, the system is struggling to keep pace with rising demand, and patients are feeling the consequences.

Danielle Mcmullen