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More and more research is pointing to the benefits of exercise for cancer patients but is that message being passed on? According to research from Edith Cowan University in Perth, less than half of the healthcare professionals surveyed in a study were giving exercise guidance to patients. Postdoctoral Research Fellow Mary Kennedy discusses the findings.
Some DJ's say night clubbers are not hitting the dance floor like they once did. Triple J Hack Reporter Jackson Worthington follows up the story.
School holidays sound like fun but for many parents they are an added source of stress. UNSW Associate Professor Jane Kohlhoff explains why.
Dr Ann's Secret Lives will see her get up close and personal with some elusive and often dangerous wildlife. She chats about some of her memorable encounters.
The iconic silver bus at the centre of the Oscar-winning 1994 Australian film The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert has been found and is in need of a major makeover. The bus was thought to have been lost for more than 25 years before it was discovered on a rural property in New South Wales. Paul Rees is the Head of Museums at the History Trust of South Australia and chats about plans for the bus from here.
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ABC News
22 minutes ago
- ABC News
WA's flu season tipped to be second-worst in past decade as cases surge
It feels like every year we're told this is one of the worst flu seasons on record. But this time around, doctors really mean it. We're only part-way through July and the rate of infections is already nearing full-year figures for previous years. It's worrying experts, including the Australian Medical Association, whose president said West Australians should buckle up for a "difficult couple of weeks ahead". Professor Yuben Moodley is a professor of respiratory medicine at the University of Western Australia, and said he expected this year to be the second-worst flu season in the last decade. "The virus evolves and mutates every flu season and the aim of the virus is to avoid our immune response and to then infect cells more efficiently," he said. "There's certain times and certain flu strains which are more effective in doing that than others. That does not necessarily mean the flu is getting more severe, however. "What happens though is that we have an increasing ageing population who are becoming more susceptible to the flu," Professor Moodley said. "The flu in a young, healthy person is not going to have major consequences, but if you have much more aged people, it certainly will result in more hospitalisations than previously. "So an increase in the ageing population will result in increased presentations to the doctor or to hospital." It comes as national data showed a 50 per cent increase in hospital admissions over a fortnightly period due to the winter surge. Those increased presentations have been blamed for increased pressure on hospitals, as shown by ambulance ramping figures. Ambulances are considered "ramped" when they spend more than half-an-hour waiting outside a hospital to hand over a patient. The average hours paramedics have spent ramped each day has been increasing significantly in WA since May, and is currently sitting just shy of records set at the peak of the pandemic. Premier Roger Cook said it was not surprising the system would be under pressure at this time of year. He also denied St John Ambulance struggling to meet its response time targets showed there needed to be extra capacity in the health system. "We need to make sure that we deploy taxpayers' funds in an efficient manner, so you don't want to have too much extra capacity, you don't want to have too little extra capacity," he said. "It's a matter of balance. "But [the system's] performing well … and we'll continue to look at how we can improve hospital services." Cook's view is in stark contrast to medical groups, including the Australian Medical Association, who suggest the state is at least 1,000 hospital beds short of being able to meet demand. "While demand on our hospitals is high, it is being managed and pausing elective surgeries is not something that is being considered," Health Minister Meredith Hammat said during the week. Compounding issues is that WA's flu season started earlier than usual. "This year in particularly, possibly because of increased travel over the last six months, we have seen a worse flu season earlier than we expected," WA Health Director General Shirley Bowen told budget estimates earlier in July. "Normally in Western Australia we might see a flu peak in July, August or September, often more in the August period. "This year we saw new cases in January. That is sort of an overflow from the situation in the UK and Europe." The solutions, of course, seem simple: vaccination and staying home when sick. Actually getting people to do either of those things is much more difficult. Western Australia's flu vaccine coverage was 25.4 per cent at the end of June — one per cent behind the national average and tied for second-last with Queensland. Asked on Friday if she was happy with the uptake of the vaccine, Seniors Minister Simone McGurk would only the say the government was "sending a very, very strong message that we want people to be vaccinated" by making it free. Professor Moodley thinks more needs to be done. "I think it is important to address vaccine scepticism a little more strongly,"he said. "Perhaps we can actually improve our outreach to people and to educate people better. Preventative Health Minister Sabine Winton said earlier this month apathy was an issue. "I am told the rate is about two per cent better than the case last year," she said. "I do not want anyone to be complacent. We need to be doing much better than that to really have an even better impact on keeping people healthy and out of hospitals." Like anything in health, that's likely to be expensive and take a long time. It means at this stage, as cases continue to grow, there's little to do but stick to the basics and manage the pressures that result.
ABC News
an hour ago
- ABC News
Second Australian case of new mpox strain detected in south-east Queensland
The second Australian case of a new strain of mpox virus has been detected in south-east Queensland. Queensland Health confirmed yesterday a patient with the clade 1 mpox strain — known to cause more severe illness — was being treated in the Metro South Hospital and Health Service area, centred on Brisbane's south. In a statement, the department said there was a low danger of the virus spreading. "The community can be assured that exposure to members of the community has been very limited and the public should not be concerned," it said. "Mpox does not spread easily between people and is mainly spread through very close or intimate contact with someone infected." The department said the infection was acquired overseas. Mpox is a viral infection with typically mild symptoms, including fever, muscle aches and swollen lymph nodes, followed by a rash or lesions. It does not spread easily and is mainly acquired through close or intimate contact. High-risk groups, including all sexually active gay, bisexual or other men who have sex with men, and their partners, are eligible for free vaccines through sexual health clinics and general practitioners. The virus was first detected in Australia in 2022, with the first case of the clade 1 strain confirmed in New South Wales in May this year. Last year, Queensland recorded 127 cases of mpox. Anyone who suspects they may have the virus should call ahead before attending health facilities so appropriate safety measure can be put in place.
ABC News
3 hours ago
- ABC News
Lack of health care looms large in minds of ageing rural Australians
Whenever Kerry and Kathy MacDonald head to the main street of their home town in outback Queensland, it is rarely a quick trip. The Longreach locals always spot a familiar face or two and stop for a chat. "I think we live in the best town in the country. We know all the people, there's plenty to do," Mrs MacDonald said. It is that social connection the couple was desperate to keep when Mr MacDonald's health began to decline several years ago. Since 2020, the 80-year-old, who has a heart condition, has made multiple trips to see specialists in Brisbane. It is a 2,400-kilometre round trip, which is no easy task for the couple. "As you get older, each trip is worse," Mrs MacDonald said. "It takes us longer. We now have to stop three times instead of driving straight through." Mr MacDonald was offered a spot in a three-year trial in Brisbane for a treatment that could help prolong his life. Mrs MacDonald said their eldest son had offered them a place to stay in Brisbane. In the end, they stayed put. "It would have created so much upheaval to us that I feel it would have had a more detrimental effect on Kerry's health and probably mine," Mrs MacDonald said. Across rural Queensland, where adequate health services are lacking, many residents face similar heartache when forced to travel long distances or permanently leave communities they are connected to. Data shows your postcode is directly linked to life expectancy. The most recent figures from Queensland Health show a sliding scale of mortality rates, with 75.2 years the median age of death in very remote areas, compared to 81.7 years in major cities. People in the most disadvantaged areas are also likely to die three years earlier than those in higher socio-economic areas. The leading cause of death is coronary heart disease, which is largely preventable, followed by dementia, including Alzheimer's disease. About 17 per cent of the Queensland population is aged 65 or older, according to state government figures. Over the next five weeks, the ABC will explore the challenges Queenslanders face as they age, particularly while living outside of major centres. We will also share stories of people who are challenging the limitations of their postcodes, to show it is possible to age well wherever you live. Rural Doctors Association of Queensland (RDAQ) president Danielle Allan said health services in rural and remote communities were often stretched to the limit. "Some of our communities are waiting five to six weeks before they even see their general practitioner," Dr Allan said. Dr Allan said cost-of-living pressures in recent years had forced more people to move to regional areas, which had compounded the issue. "This year we've had an increase in the number of junior doctors electing to train particularly in rural general practice, so that's a really good sign," she said. "But it's three to five years before those boots hit the ground and in that time you've got increasing population, increasing demand. "So you're almost like the rat on the wheel — you're constantly moving but not necessarily feeling like you're achieving much." The RDAQ has been pushing for increased funding for health care. "Thirty-eight per cent of the Queensland population actually live in rural and remote areas, so when you think about that, do we actually spend 38 per cent of the health budget in those same areas?" Dr Allan said. "We certainly don't have 38 per cent of the health workforce. Aged and Disability Advocacy Australia care finder service manager Terri-Ann Dwyer said isolation was one of the biggest challenges affecting older Queenslanders and their ability to age well. "We're finding people are having to move away to access health services and other support," she said. "That has grief, loss and trauma associated with it … especially if it's something that is forced upon somebody." Ms Dwyer said the isolation was more keenly felt by those no longer able to drive. "Access to public transport is really tough in regional areas and often non-existent in rural and very remote areas," she said. Ms Dwyer said there was "massive demand" and "huge waiting lists" for residential aged care spots, but older Queenslanders should always ask for help. "You've worked really hard all your life, you've contributed to our communities in so many valuable ways," she said. "It is our time now to ensure that we provide the most appropriate services and supports so you can live the rest of your life in the way that works for you the best." The MacDonalds plan to stay in their own home for as long as possible, with the help of local medical services and technology. Mr MacDonald now wears a special watch that alerts his wife if he has had a fall. "I get a call within 10 seconds, and then if I don't answer it within 10 or 20 seconds it goes straight to the ambulance," Mrs MacDonald said. "We have doctors that look after us very well. If we need specialist treatment we're sent away, [but] we feel we don't miss out too much." This story is part of a series exploring how regional Queenslanders are ageing well outside the capital city.
