7NEWS Spotlight: How Glenn Collins is getting back on his feet after Avalon Airshow crash
The Sky Aces aerobatic pilot was flying at 300km an hour when he crashed at the Avalon International Airshow in March.
With the support of his devoted wife, Tracey, and his loving family, Glenn is pushing the boundaries of his physiotherapy to get back on his feet..
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Cockpit footage of Avalon Airshow crash
And it won't be too long before he and Tracey are heading back home to the Hunter Valley.
However, their life will look different on their return with the pilot's spinal injury meaning there will be multiple lifestyle changes.
These include renovating their house for accessibility.
'You need to allow for your worst days and my worst days might be that I'm not on my feet, so we need to make the house suitable for that,' Glenn acknowledges.
Despite the ordeal, Glenn remains as positive as he can be and realised it could have been much worse.
'I'm one of the very, very lucky ones where my spinal injury is low, so I will hopefully be able to walk again,' he said.
'Many people don't.'
For Glenn and Tracey, there are so many people who they want to thank.
Among those are the pyro crew - Phil, Jay, Brooke, and Todd - whose rapid response in getting Glenn out of the wreckage to be treated by paramedics was critical.
'They are very much heroes. They saved my life,' he said.
A long list of healthcare practitioners also contributed to keeping him alive and then helping with his recovery.
From paramedics, to doctors, nurses and numerous other hospital staff; dozens and dozens of caring individuals helped put Glenn back together.
Tracey feels particularly strongly about the regular Australians who donate blood.
'Glenn was revived using bloods and fluids, which saved his life,' she said.
So, on the anniversary of Glenn's fateful flight, their whole family will donate blood themselves to mark the occasion.
It's obvious that there's a deeply emotional connection between Paul Bennet and his crew member Glenn. After all, Paul is the one who straight away, initiated the GoFundMe page for the Collins family.
Glenn recognises how valuable this will be in his getting him back walking - and maybe even back in the sky!
'It's amazing what he's done there, looked after me. And it'll also pass on through the family,'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Advertiser
2 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Bulk bill incentive could miss thousands of GP clinics
A plan to boost the number of fully bulk-billing general practice clinics is likely to fall dramatically short of forecasts, a healthcare directory operator warns. Labor's $7.9 billion plan to expand the Bulk Billing Incentive Program to include non-concession patients projected the number of fully bulk-billing GP clinics to rise to 4800. But healthcare directory operator Cleanbill estimates the number of entirely bulk-billing clinics will rise by just 740 to 2081 because incentive payments will not cover consultation costs for certain clinics. Federal Health Minister Mark Butler slammed the report as inaccurate and fundamentally flawed. "This is a headline-grabbing phone poll conducted by a private company whose own website says their data is not 'reliable, accurate, complete or suitable'," Mr Butler said in a statement. "For the first time, Labor will expand bulk-billing incentives to all Australians and create an additional new incentive payment for practices that bulk bill every patient." From November 1, clinics that bulk bill every patient will receive a 12.5 per cent payment for each consultation, along with a conditional, variable payment depending on the clinic's remoteness. The report found it would only make sense for clinics to accept the Bulk Billing Incentive if their out-of-pocket costs were lower than the national average, or if they were more remote and attracted a higher incentive contribution. "The vast majority (72 per cent) of GP clinics are located in metro areas, where the New Total Medicare Payment is still $16 below the current average total cost of a non-bulk-billed standard consultation," the Cleanbill report said. It estimated the economic effect of the Bulk Billing Incentive expansion would need to be between 20 per cent and 30 per cent greater than the actual amount of the incentive payment for 4800 clinics to become fully bulk-billing as a result of the change. Patients whose clinics did not switch to fully bulk billing would face higher out-of-pocket costs in future, Cleanbill said. The federal health department said the report was based on a false assumption that if a GP did not bulk bill every patient, they bulk billed none. A plan to boost the number of fully bulk-billing general practice clinics is likely to fall dramatically short of forecasts, a healthcare directory operator warns. Labor's $7.9 billion plan to expand the Bulk Billing Incentive Program to include non-concession patients projected the number of fully bulk-billing GP clinics to rise to 4800. But healthcare directory operator Cleanbill estimates the number of entirely bulk-billing clinics will rise by just 740 to 2081 because incentive payments will not cover consultation costs for certain clinics. Federal Health Minister Mark Butler slammed the report as inaccurate and fundamentally flawed. "This is a headline-grabbing phone poll conducted by a private company whose own website says their data is not 'reliable, accurate, complete or suitable'," Mr Butler said in a statement. "For the first time, Labor will expand bulk-billing incentives to all Australians and create an additional new incentive payment for practices that bulk bill every patient." From November 1, clinics that bulk bill every patient will receive a 12.5 per cent payment for each consultation, along with a conditional, variable payment depending on the clinic's remoteness. The report found it would only make sense for clinics to accept the Bulk Billing Incentive if their out-of-pocket costs were lower than the national average, or if they were more remote and attracted a higher incentive contribution. "The vast majority (72 per cent) of GP clinics are located in metro areas, where the New Total Medicare Payment is still $16 below the current average total cost of a non-bulk-billed standard consultation," the Cleanbill report said. It estimated the economic effect of the Bulk Billing Incentive expansion would need to be between 20 per cent and 30 per cent greater than the actual amount of the incentive payment for 4800 clinics to become fully bulk-billing as a result of the change. Patients whose clinics did not switch to fully bulk billing would face higher out-of-pocket costs in future, Cleanbill said. The federal health department said the report was based on a false assumption that if a GP did not bulk bill every patient, they bulk billed none. A plan to boost the number of fully bulk-billing general practice clinics is likely to fall dramatically short of forecasts, a healthcare directory operator warns. Labor's $7.9 billion plan to expand the Bulk Billing Incentive Program to include non-concession patients projected the number of fully bulk-billing GP clinics to rise to 4800. But healthcare directory operator Cleanbill estimates the number of entirely bulk-billing clinics will rise by just 740 to 2081 because incentive payments will not cover consultation costs for certain clinics. Federal Health Minister Mark Butler slammed the report as inaccurate and fundamentally flawed. "This is a headline-grabbing phone poll conducted by a private company whose own website says their data is not 'reliable, accurate, complete or suitable'," Mr Butler said in a statement. "For the first time, Labor will expand bulk-billing incentives to all Australians and create an additional new incentive payment for practices that bulk bill every patient." From November 1, clinics that bulk bill every patient will receive a 12.5 per cent payment for each consultation, along with a conditional, variable payment depending on the clinic's remoteness. The report found it would only make sense for clinics to accept the Bulk Billing Incentive if their out-of-pocket costs were lower than the national average, or if they were more remote and attracted a higher incentive contribution. "The vast majority (72 per cent) of GP clinics are located in metro areas, where the New Total Medicare Payment is still $16 below the current average total cost of a non-bulk-billed standard consultation," the Cleanbill report said. It estimated the economic effect of the Bulk Billing Incentive expansion would need to be between 20 per cent and 30 per cent greater than the actual amount of the incentive payment for 4800 clinics to become fully bulk-billing as a result of the change. Patients whose clinics did not switch to fully bulk billing would face higher out-of-pocket costs in future, Cleanbill said. The federal health department said the report was based on a false assumption that if a GP did not bulk bill every patient, they bulk billed none. A plan to boost the number of fully bulk-billing general practice clinics is likely to fall dramatically short of forecasts, a healthcare directory operator warns. Labor's $7.9 billion plan to expand the Bulk Billing Incentive Program to include non-concession patients projected the number of fully bulk-billing GP clinics to rise to 4800. But healthcare directory operator Cleanbill estimates the number of entirely bulk-billing clinics will rise by just 740 to 2081 because incentive payments will not cover consultation costs for certain clinics. Federal Health Minister Mark Butler slammed the report as inaccurate and fundamentally flawed. "This is a headline-grabbing phone poll conducted by a private company whose own website says their data is not 'reliable, accurate, complete or suitable'," Mr Butler said in a statement. "For the first time, Labor will expand bulk-billing incentives to all Australians and create an additional new incentive payment for practices that bulk bill every patient." From November 1, clinics that bulk bill every patient will receive a 12.5 per cent payment for each consultation, along with a conditional, variable payment depending on the clinic's remoteness. The report found it would only make sense for clinics to accept the Bulk Billing Incentive if their out-of-pocket costs were lower than the national average, or if they were more remote and attracted a higher incentive contribution. "The vast majority (72 per cent) of GP clinics are located in metro areas, where the New Total Medicare Payment is still $16 below the current average total cost of a non-bulk-billed standard consultation," the Cleanbill report said. It estimated the economic effect of the Bulk Billing Incentive expansion would need to be between 20 per cent and 30 per cent greater than the actual amount of the incentive payment for 4800 clinics to become fully bulk-billing as a result of the change. Patients whose clinics did not switch to fully bulk billing would face higher out-of-pocket costs in future, Cleanbill said. The federal health department said the report was based on a false assumption that if a GP did not bulk bill every patient, they bulk billed none.
The Advertiser
2 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Hepatitis C is curable. Why are Australians still dying from it?
Every so often, a medical breakthrough reshapes the health landscape and offers new hope. The cure for hepatitis C is one such medical breakthrough - as significant as the discovery of penicillin. It has saved millions around the world from developing severe liver disease and liver cancer by curing their hepatitis C. It is the first ever drug to cure a virus and completely cure a chronic disease, and has been declared an "essential medicine" by the World Health Organisation. It forms the backbone of treatments offered to people living with hepatitis C in Australia today - a painless cure of one tablet per day for up to 12 weeks. It's a simple molecule that blocks the virus from replicating and is very effective, has minimal side effects, and is vastly superior to previous treatments like interferon. Since it became available under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme in 2016, 62.9 per cent of all people living in Australia with hepatitis C have received the cure. Yet despite this, about 70,000 Australians still live with hepatitis C. Why, in a country with universal health care and a commitment to disease elimination, are so many people still being left behind? New analysis done by Hepatitis Australia shows that 84 per cent of people now living with hepatitis C no longer inject drugs or contracted the virus in other ways: through blood transfusions before blood screening was introduced in 1990; unsafe tattooing; or medical and dental procedures overseas in countries with less rigorous infection control. In Australia, hepatitis C has primarily been associated with injecting drug use. Significant progress has been made in working with people who inject drugs through community-led outreach, peer programs, and harm reduction services like needle and syringe exchanges. With almost 30 per cent of the prison population injecting while they are incarcerated, prisons are the primary sites of transmission for hepatitis C. Our analysis shows that in NSW, 40 per cent of all hepatitis C retreatments are delivered in prisons, and needle exchange programs are needed to prevent transmission and reinfection. Australia's response to viral hepatitis needs to adapt to the changing nature of the population. While people who inject drugs must always be a priority in our work to eliminate viral hepatitis, a new focus is needed on the many people who might not realise they live with hepatitis C or were told in the past that there was nothing they could do about it. This population is unlikely to be engaged with hepatitis programs offered through drug and alcohol, prisons and homelessness services. And so they go undiagnosed, untreated, and remain at risk of developing serious liver disease. Community hepatitis organisations create stigma-free pathways for people to seek testing and treatment for hepatitis C. When we look at the demographics of this "missing group" of about 59,000 people, they are on average aged 40 to 65, are predominantly male and might have injected drugs, even just once, in their youth or had a tattoo overseas. The research tells us they are hesitant to talk about their life experiences with their regular GP, and this is where community outreach services, like those offered by community hepatitis organisations, become incredibly important. Hepatitis C is a ticking time bomb that slowly damages and inflames the liver, leading to serious liver disease and, potentially, cancer if left untreated. Most people have no symptoms of hepatitis C for many years until their liver is seriously affected. No one should die from a curable disease because of stigma, silence or a missed opportunity. Australia has what it takes to eliminate hepatitis C. We must act with urgency and compassion to make sure no one is left behind. It can be hard to take the first step to getting cured for hepatitis C. That's why we launched HepLink with funding from the Australian government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing, a free, confidential service that helps people find hepatitis-friendly doctors in their area - no Medicare card required. If you think you could be at risk or if you tested positive a long time ago and didn't realise there was a simple cure, call HepLink on 1800 437 222 or visit for free, confidential information and support. Every so often, a medical breakthrough reshapes the health landscape and offers new hope. The cure for hepatitis C is one such medical breakthrough - as significant as the discovery of penicillin. It has saved millions around the world from developing severe liver disease and liver cancer by curing their hepatitis C. It is the first ever drug to cure a virus and completely cure a chronic disease, and has been declared an "essential medicine" by the World Health Organisation. It forms the backbone of treatments offered to people living with hepatitis C in Australia today - a painless cure of one tablet per day for up to 12 weeks. It's a simple molecule that blocks the virus from replicating and is very effective, has minimal side effects, and is vastly superior to previous treatments like interferon. Since it became available under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme in 2016, 62.9 per cent of all people living in Australia with hepatitis C have received the cure. Yet despite this, about 70,000 Australians still live with hepatitis C. Why, in a country with universal health care and a commitment to disease elimination, are so many people still being left behind? New analysis done by Hepatitis Australia shows that 84 per cent of people now living with hepatitis C no longer inject drugs or contracted the virus in other ways: through blood transfusions before blood screening was introduced in 1990; unsafe tattooing; or medical and dental procedures overseas in countries with less rigorous infection control. In Australia, hepatitis C has primarily been associated with injecting drug use. Significant progress has been made in working with people who inject drugs through community-led outreach, peer programs, and harm reduction services like needle and syringe exchanges. With almost 30 per cent of the prison population injecting while they are incarcerated, prisons are the primary sites of transmission for hepatitis C. Our analysis shows that in NSW, 40 per cent of all hepatitis C retreatments are delivered in prisons, and needle exchange programs are needed to prevent transmission and reinfection. Australia's response to viral hepatitis needs to adapt to the changing nature of the population. While people who inject drugs must always be a priority in our work to eliminate viral hepatitis, a new focus is needed on the many people who might not realise they live with hepatitis C or were told in the past that there was nothing they could do about it. This population is unlikely to be engaged with hepatitis programs offered through drug and alcohol, prisons and homelessness services. And so they go undiagnosed, untreated, and remain at risk of developing serious liver disease. Community hepatitis organisations create stigma-free pathways for people to seek testing and treatment for hepatitis C. When we look at the demographics of this "missing group" of about 59,000 people, they are on average aged 40 to 65, are predominantly male and might have injected drugs, even just once, in their youth or had a tattoo overseas. The research tells us they are hesitant to talk about their life experiences with their regular GP, and this is where community outreach services, like those offered by community hepatitis organisations, become incredibly important. Hepatitis C is a ticking time bomb that slowly damages and inflames the liver, leading to serious liver disease and, potentially, cancer if left untreated. Most people have no symptoms of hepatitis C for many years until their liver is seriously affected. No one should die from a curable disease because of stigma, silence or a missed opportunity. Australia has what it takes to eliminate hepatitis C. We must act with urgency and compassion to make sure no one is left behind. It can be hard to take the first step to getting cured for hepatitis C. That's why we launched HepLink with funding from the Australian government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing, a free, confidential service that helps people find hepatitis-friendly doctors in their area - no Medicare card required. If you think you could be at risk or if you tested positive a long time ago and didn't realise there was a simple cure, call HepLink on 1800 437 222 or visit for free, confidential information and support. Every so often, a medical breakthrough reshapes the health landscape and offers new hope. The cure for hepatitis C is one such medical breakthrough - as significant as the discovery of penicillin. It has saved millions around the world from developing severe liver disease and liver cancer by curing their hepatitis C. It is the first ever drug to cure a virus and completely cure a chronic disease, and has been declared an "essential medicine" by the World Health Organisation. It forms the backbone of treatments offered to people living with hepatitis C in Australia today - a painless cure of one tablet per day for up to 12 weeks. It's a simple molecule that blocks the virus from replicating and is very effective, has minimal side effects, and is vastly superior to previous treatments like interferon. Since it became available under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme in 2016, 62.9 per cent of all people living in Australia with hepatitis C have received the cure. Yet despite this, about 70,000 Australians still live with hepatitis C. Why, in a country with universal health care and a commitment to disease elimination, are so many people still being left behind? New analysis done by Hepatitis Australia shows that 84 per cent of people now living with hepatitis C no longer inject drugs or contracted the virus in other ways: through blood transfusions before blood screening was introduced in 1990; unsafe tattooing; or medical and dental procedures overseas in countries with less rigorous infection control. In Australia, hepatitis C has primarily been associated with injecting drug use. Significant progress has been made in working with people who inject drugs through community-led outreach, peer programs, and harm reduction services like needle and syringe exchanges. With almost 30 per cent of the prison population injecting while they are incarcerated, prisons are the primary sites of transmission for hepatitis C. Our analysis shows that in NSW, 40 per cent of all hepatitis C retreatments are delivered in prisons, and needle exchange programs are needed to prevent transmission and reinfection. Australia's response to viral hepatitis needs to adapt to the changing nature of the population. While people who inject drugs must always be a priority in our work to eliminate viral hepatitis, a new focus is needed on the many people who might not realise they live with hepatitis C or were told in the past that there was nothing they could do about it. This population is unlikely to be engaged with hepatitis programs offered through drug and alcohol, prisons and homelessness services. And so they go undiagnosed, untreated, and remain at risk of developing serious liver disease. Community hepatitis organisations create stigma-free pathways for people to seek testing and treatment for hepatitis C. When we look at the demographics of this "missing group" of about 59,000 people, they are on average aged 40 to 65, are predominantly male and might have injected drugs, even just once, in their youth or had a tattoo overseas. The research tells us they are hesitant to talk about their life experiences with their regular GP, and this is where community outreach services, like those offered by community hepatitis organisations, become incredibly important. Hepatitis C is a ticking time bomb that slowly damages and inflames the liver, leading to serious liver disease and, potentially, cancer if left untreated. Most people have no symptoms of hepatitis C for many years until their liver is seriously affected. No one should die from a curable disease because of stigma, silence or a missed opportunity. Australia has what it takes to eliminate hepatitis C. We must act with urgency and compassion to make sure no one is left behind. It can be hard to take the first step to getting cured for hepatitis C. That's why we launched HepLink with funding from the Australian government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing, a free, confidential service that helps people find hepatitis-friendly doctors in their area - no Medicare card required. If you think you could be at risk or if you tested positive a long time ago and didn't realise there was a simple cure, call HepLink on 1800 437 222 or visit for free, confidential information and support. Every so often, a medical breakthrough reshapes the health landscape and offers new hope. The cure for hepatitis C is one such medical breakthrough - as significant as the discovery of penicillin. It has saved millions around the world from developing severe liver disease and liver cancer by curing their hepatitis C. It is the first ever drug to cure a virus and completely cure a chronic disease, and has been declared an "essential medicine" by the World Health Organisation. It forms the backbone of treatments offered to people living with hepatitis C in Australia today - a painless cure of one tablet per day for up to 12 weeks. It's a simple molecule that blocks the virus from replicating and is very effective, has minimal side effects, and is vastly superior to previous treatments like interferon. Since it became available under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme in 2016, 62.9 per cent of all people living in Australia with hepatitis C have received the cure. Yet despite this, about 70,000 Australians still live with hepatitis C. Why, in a country with universal health care and a commitment to disease elimination, are so many people still being left behind? New analysis done by Hepatitis Australia shows that 84 per cent of people now living with hepatitis C no longer inject drugs or contracted the virus in other ways: through blood transfusions before blood screening was introduced in 1990; unsafe tattooing; or medical and dental procedures overseas in countries with less rigorous infection control. In Australia, hepatitis C has primarily been associated with injecting drug use. Significant progress has been made in working with people who inject drugs through community-led outreach, peer programs, and harm reduction services like needle and syringe exchanges. With almost 30 per cent of the prison population injecting while they are incarcerated, prisons are the primary sites of transmission for hepatitis C. Our analysis shows that in NSW, 40 per cent of all hepatitis C retreatments are delivered in prisons, and needle exchange programs are needed to prevent transmission and reinfection. Australia's response to viral hepatitis needs to adapt to the changing nature of the population. While people who inject drugs must always be a priority in our work to eliminate viral hepatitis, a new focus is needed on the many people who might not realise they live with hepatitis C or were told in the past that there was nothing they could do about it. This population is unlikely to be engaged with hepatitis programs offered through drug and alcohol, prisons and homelessness services. And so they go undiagnosed, untreated, and remain at risk of developing serious liver disease. Community hepatitis organisations create stigma-free pathways for people to seek testing and treatment for hepatitis C. When we look at the demographics of this "missing group" of about 59,000 people, they are on average aged 40 to 65, are predominantly male and might have injected drugs, even just once, in their youth or had a tattoo overseas. The research tells us they are hesitant to talk about their life experiences with their regular GP, and this is where community outreach services, like those offered by community hepatitis organisations, become incredibly important. Hepatitis C is a ticking time bomb that slowly damages and inflames the liver, leading to serious liver disease and, potentially, cancer if left untreated. Most people have no symptoms of hepatitis C for many years until their liver is seriously affected. No one should die from a curable disease because of stigma, silence or a missed opportunity. Australia has what it takes to eliminate hepatitis C. We must act with urgency and compassion to make sure no one is left behind. It can be hard to take the first step to getting cured for hepatitis C. That's why we launched HepLink with funding from the Australian government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing, a free, confidential service that helps people find hepatitis-friendly doctors in their area - no Medicare card required. If you think you could be at risk or if you tested positive a long time ago and didn't realise there was a simple cure, call HepLink on 1800 437 222 or visit for free, confidential information and support.
West Australian
3 hours ago
- West Australian
Bulk bill incentive could miss thousands of GP clinics
A plan to boost the number of fully bulk-billing general practice clinics is likely to fall dramatically short of forecasts, a healthcare directory operator warns. Labor's $7.9 billion plan to expand the Bulk Billing Incentive Program to include non-concession patients projected the number of fully bulk-billing GP clinics to rise to 4800. But healthcare directory operator Cleanbill estimates the number of entirely bulk-billing clinics will rise by just 740 to 2081 because incentive payments will not cover consultation costs for certain clinics. Federal Health Minister Mark Butler slammed the report as inaccurate and fundamentally flawed. "This is a headline-grabbing phone poll conducted by a private company whose own website says their data is not 'reliable, accurate, complete or suitable'," Mr Butler said in a statement. "For the first time, Labor will expand bulk-billing incentives to all Australians and create an additional new incentive payment for practices that bulk bill every patient." From November 1, clinics that bulk bill every patient will receive a 12.5 per cent payment for each consultation, along with a conditional, variable payment depending on the clinic's remoteness. The report found it would only make sense for clinics to accept the Bulk Billing Incentive if their out-of-pocket costs were lower than the national average, or if they were more remote and attracted a higher incentive contribution. "The vast majority (72 per cent) of GP clinics are located in metro areas, where the New Total Medicare Payment is still $16 below the current average total cost of a non-bulk-billed standard consultation," the Cleanbill report said. It estimated the economic effect of the Bulk Billing Incentive expansion would need to be between 20 per cent and 30 per cent greater than the actual amount of the incentive payment for 4800 clinics to become fully bulk-billing as a result of the change. Patients whose clinics did not switch to fully bulk billing would face higher out-of-pocket costs in future, Cleanbill said. The federal health department said the report was based on a false assumption that if a GP did not bulk bill every patient, they bulk billed none.
