Junk food spared in health plan

THE Gillard government has ruled out a tax on junk food as part of its national preventative health strategy.

The Prime Minister Julia Gillard provided the assurance today after outlining a new preventative health agency which will be established in early 2011 if government legislation is passed by the parliament.

The agency will try and relieve pressure on Australian hospitals and encourage more healthy lifestyles.

Ms Gillard said today that “now was the right time for action” pointing towards the cost that preventable diseases were having on total health care expenditure.

"Today the parliament will debate legislation that will pave the way for the formation of the Australian national preventative health agency,” she said.

“The agency will work with governments and non government organisations to refocus and redouble the government’s efforts in reducing the rate of smoking an obesity and address alcohol and substance abuse,” she said.

Avoidable diseases account for about 20 per cent of total health care expenditure, while smoking alone costs $31.5 billion and kills 15,000 Australians annually.

The government says the bill is part of its $872.1 million commitment over six years towards the National Partnership Agreement on Preventive Health.

A sum of $17.6 million has been allocated to establish and run the centre if the legislation is passed and would become operational at the start of 2011.

Health Minister Nicola Roxon said the legislation had not yet received the support of the Liberal Opposition, but stressed Tony Abbott was clearly a “very keen advocate for maintaining health”.

“This is an opportunity for the health message he leads in his own life to be spread more widely,” she added.

“We would call on him to reconsider their support for this important piece of legislation.”

The agency will take responsibility for social marketing programs in relation to tobacco and obesity, a preventative health research fund and a preventative workforce audit and strategy.

Ms Gillard stressed that while the government had increased the excise on smoking, were introducing plain paper packaging for cigarettes and had increased the excise on alco-pops, there was no current plan to tax junk food.

“Specifically on the question of taxation of junk food we are not proposing to go down that path. Tax reform questions were dealt with by the Henry tax review”.

Source http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/junk-food-spared-in-health-plan/story-fn59niix-1225943783316

World first anti-vertigo implant

A US man was today due to become the first person in the world to have an anti-vertigo device implanted in his head.

Scientists from the University of Washington will insert a vestibular prosthesis into a 56-year-old Washington man’s head in a bid to stop the vomiting and dizziness caused by Meniere's disease - a balance disorder characterised by episodes of vertigo and tinnitus.

The device consists of a cochlear implant and processor made from a configuration of electrodes. The patient wears the processor behind the affected ear and activates it as an attack starts. The processor then wirelessly signals the implant device, which in turn transmits electrical impulses that will attempt to rewire the body’s balance centre.

Dr James Phillips, one of the clinicians who spent four years developing the device, said, "It's an override. It doesn't change what's happening in the ear, but it eliminates the symptoms while replacing the function of that ear until it recovers".

The disease affects hearing and balance with varying intensity and frequency but can be extremely debilitating. Its episodic attacks are thought to stem from the rupture of an inner-ear membrane. Surgery is often an effective option, but it typically causes the patient to sacrifice function in the affected ear to halt the vertigo.

A successful human trial could lead the implant to become the first-choice surgical intervention for Meniere's patients, Dr Phillips said, and spark collaboration with other researchers who are studying more widespread balance disorders.

Source http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/breaking-news/world-first-anti-vertigo-implant/story-e6frf7jx-1225942023334

Department contradicts minister on girls' safety

Victoria's Community Services Minister Lisa Neville is at the centre of a mounting controversy over the safety of three vulnerable young girls.

Ms Neville insists the youngsters are in good hands and all their carers are "in the clear", but her department has flatly contradicted her, acknowledging one of those carers is a known sex offender.

Last night the girls' grandmother told the ABC the Department of Human Services (DHS) had forgotten to extend a protection order over the children, who were in the care of their drug-affected mother.

But Ms Neville maintains that the three girls are safe and well despite her department's mistake.

The Minister says DHS carried out background checks on everyone who cares for the children regularly.

"Those checks are all clear," Ms Neville said.

But that directly contradicts the Minister's department.

The ABC has confirmed an extended family member who regularly cares for the girls is considered a sex offender by DHS.

Yesterday DHS said it had no record of any allegations against the man.

Today the ABC confirmed DHS has substantiated a sexual abuse allegation against him and the man has been deregistered as a foster carer as a result.

DHS says it has in place agreed protocols with the family to ensure the children are never left alone with the man.

The Opposition will push to urgently reconvene a parliamentary inquiry into child protection next week.

"The Government wouldn't have a clue if these children are safe," Opposition spokeswoman Mary Wooldridge said.

There have been multiple, recent failures exposed in the department that cares for the state's most vulnerable.

"We need answers about why this is happening and what's going to happen in the future to make sure it doesn't happen again," Ms Wooldridge said.

The head of DHS says she will meet with the girls' grandmother to discuss the case.

Source http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/10/19/3042776.htm?site=melbourne

Cancer cluster fears for Harbour Bridge workers

The CFMEU says its members are concerned there may be a cancer cluster among workers who paint and maintain the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

The union says its members met with the Roads and Traffic Authority (RTA) management today to raise concerns about the number of cancer cases among the workers on the bridge.

It says the RTA has agreed to investigate the issue and review current work practices.

The union is concerned lead paint could be causing cancer among riggers, painters, carpenters and crane operators.

Source http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/10/14/3038693.htm?section=justin

Hospital strike hits WA

Thousands of hospital support workers in Western Australia have staged a half-day strike over wages and concerns about plans to privatise hospital services.

Around 450 of the workers rallied at parliament house in Perth on Tuesday demanding the government raise its pay offer and assure them their jobs were not under threat.

The industrial action affected elective surgery at public hospitals, with several operations cancelled.

Up to 8000 cleaners, orderlies, catering staff, sterilisation technicians and other workers took part in the four-hour strike.

The WA government is offering the workers pay increases of 3.5 per cent per year over the next three years.

At Tuesday's rally an angry crowd shouted "Wake up, Colin" as they tried to get Premier Colin Barnett to come out and address them.

Liquor, Hospitality and Miscellaneous Union (LHMU) Secretary Dave Kelly told reporters at the rally that the government's proposal included new staff being hired on temporary and fixed-term contracts.

"Our members are here today because they want to send a message to the Barnett government that they are not happy with the pay offer that's been made to them.

"And importantly they are not happy with the Barnett government's plan to privatise services in government hospitals."

Mr Kelly said the workers were sorry to cause hospital disruptions but they had no alternative but to take industrial action.

"Our members don't get rich working in a public hospital."

Mr Kelly said the action had been restricted to four hours to minimise disruption, but further action may be taken if the government failed to take notice.

Earlier in the day, Mr Barnett told reporters the strike would not help solve the dispute, and he hoped patients would not be put at risk.

"I would hope that cool heads prevail and a negotiated agreement could be reached."

The premier said the workers were not highly paid, but that was something the government wastrying to address over time and it could not be solved overnight.

Mr Barnett has said a mix of public and private service provision had long been a feature of WA's public hospital system.

When Health Minister Kim Hames briefly addressed Tuesday's rally he was booed as he promised to have a clear policy at the next election on the issue of privatisation.

Several people in the crowd shouted, "You won't be in government next time."

Opposition Leader Eric Ripper told the protesters that justice was on their side.

"In a rich state the government can afford to give you your fair share," he said.

Source http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-national/hospital-strike-hits-wa-20101012-16hlh.html

Pregnant women told to ignore drinking advice

Australian researchers are urging pregnant women to ignore a UK study that suggests drinking two units of alcohol a week will not affect child development.

The study of more than 11,000 five-year-olds found children born to light drinkers did not suffer from poor behavioural or intellectual growth.

It also found they scored higher on cognitive tests.

But Dr Lucy Burns from the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre says the findings need to be researched further.

"I think the results probably should not be taken into account in a major way," Dr Burns said.

"At the moment we should just ignore these sorts of findings that suggest there might be some sort of benefit on the developing foetus until we have a lot more research in this particular area."

The UK study says women who have one or two alcoholic drinks a week during pregnancy do not harm their children's behavioural or intellectual development.

Researchers found pregnant women who drank up to a glass (175 millilitres) of wine, up to 50 millimetres of spirits or just under a pint of beer a week, did not affect their children.

But children whose mothers were heavy drinkers were more likely to be hyperactive and have behavioural and emotional problems than those whose mothers did not drink during pregnancy.

The results, published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, found no evidence to suggest the behavioural or intellectual development of children born to light drinkers was compromised.

Across the entire range of children of non-drinkers and drinkers, the study found boys were more likely than girls to have more developmental problems and also more likely to have behavioural issues, be hyperactive and have problems with peers.

Girls were more likely to have emotional problems.

Source http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/10/06/3031205.htm?section=world

Dogs will patrol SE Qld trains

Security dogs will patrol southeast Queensland's rail network as part of the state government's bid to crack down on crime.

Queensland Rail (QR) has employed private security company Securecorp to provide 11 dogs and dog handlers to patrol train stations, carparks and other QR property.

The 24-hour dog patrols started on Monday and are part of QR's annual $45 million program to boost security across the TransLink network.

Transport Minister Rachel Nolan says the dogs are expected to reduce crime and antisocial behaviour such as damaging property or harassing others.

"I think people who are thinking about playing up ... are much less likely to do that if there is a security dog around," Ms Nolan said.

QR chief executive Paul Scurrah said the dogs won't be used to attack people but instead be an added security presence.

"They are muzzled but they can be unmuzzled if necessary," Mr Scurrah said.

"Predominantly they're there as a presence.

"We train all our security personnel to identify potential anti-social behaviour before it gets out of hand ... and having that extra security presence (dogs) will certainly help."

Ms Nolan said crime rates had remained stable despite rail patronage growing by 26 per cent since 2004.

She said there were 236 assaults on or adjacent to Queensland Rail property in 2008-09.

During this period Queensland Rail carried more than 60 million passengers.

Ten extra officers have also been added to the Queensland Police Service rail squad.

Source http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-national/dogs-will-patrol-se-qld-trains-20101004-1641z.html