Department of Health and Human Services, Tasmania, 1 September 2010
“Research shows that de-normalising tobacco to children and restricting the areas where people smoke can be effective strategies for reducing tobacco related harm in our community. The harmful effects of smoking and ETS [environmental tobacco smoke] are already well established and this paper does not intend to revisit this evidence. This discussion paper aims to inform stakeholders and the community on a range of options available to further protect Tasmanians from tobacco related harm.”
Submissions must be received by 5.00pm on Friday 1 October 2010.
Find discussion paper here.
Archive for category Tasmanian Health Service
Magistrates Court of Tasmania, Coronial finding
Health Alert, DLA Phillips Fox, 9 August 2010
“Patients frequently consult one practitioner for a medical condition and then (for a variety of reasons) consult a different practitioner for the same condition (at a later stage or in the same period). This investigation by the Coroner of Tasmania looked at one of the potentially fatal consequences of this trend of mixing practitioners and mixing the medications they prescribe. …This case highlights the difficulties of managing patients that consult multiple practitioners for complex medical problems. The coroner recommended that specialist clinicians and medical practitioners use caution when prescribing medication to those with mental illness especially when their psychiatric history is extensive. The coroner encouraged practitioners to contact previous practitioners or pharmacists about the medications prescribed and encouraged practitioners to educate patients on the risks of combining medications.”
Find summary here and full coronial finding here.
COAG meeting ,19 & 20 APRIL 2010, Canberra
“The Council of Australian Governments (COAG) concluded its 29th meeting in Canberra today. The Prime Minister, Premiers, Chief Ministers and the President of the Australian Local Government Association were joined by Treasurers for the meeting. COAG, with the exception of Western Australia, reached an historic agreement on health and hospitals reform – the establishment of a National Health and Hospitals Network. This represents the most significant reform to Australia’s health and hospitals system since the introduction of Medicare, and one of the largest reforms to service delivery in the history of the Federation. …In addition, a package of $5.4 billion in reforms and investment will provide…”
Find full COAG communique here. Find transcript of COAG joint press conference here.
Find state and territory leader statements here: ACT, NT, Victoria, Queensland, SA, NSW.
Tasmanian Department of Health and Human Services online news, 15 January 2010
“The Tasmanian Government is committed to supporting and protecting vulnerable people in Tasmania. To this end it will set up a centralised background checking and risk assessment system for those working with vulnerable people to reduce the risk of sexual, physical, emotional or financial harm or neglect. Such checking systems for people working with children are established or under development in all Australian jurisdictions. Given the similarities in the risk of harm faced by children and vulnerable adults, Tasmania is considering extending the checking system to include people working with vulnerable adults.” Public consultation closes 12 March 2010.
Find further information here.
Aged Care and Rehabilitation Clinical Network Tasmania Newletter:
“Telecare Online Services has been working toward the implementation of a new mobile diagnostic unit that can be easily installed in the homes of people whose health needs regular monitoring. These units are connected to a either a phone line or home internet connection and are capable of providing diagnostic results and submitting them electronically to our main public hospitals. It can also act as a video-conferencing unit between patients and health professionals.”
Find article here.
Bioedge | Michael Cook | 28 October 2009
“Voluntary euthanasia will probably be rejected once again in the Australian state of Tasmania. In May the leader of the Green Party, Nick McKim, introduced a private member’s bill, Dying with Dignity Bill 2009, which was referred to a committee. After three months of hearings, the committee issued a report which declared that the bill “in its current form does not provide an adequate or concise legislative framework to permit voluntary euthanasia/physician assisted suicide.”
Read article here.
Read report here.
The Examiner | 12 October 2009
LAUNCESTON’S general practitioners can pick and choose their patients. In a supply-and-demand market, they are regularly cherry picking the young and healthy over the elderly, time-consuming patients, health commentators told The Examiner
Access article here.