HEALTHMonitor produced by Media Monitors ACT Pty Ltd distributed by Health Communication Network Limited Issue No. - Thursday, July 08, 1999 PRINT MEDIA SUMMARY THE AUSTRALIAN John Kerin p4 Medical records to be issued. Federal Privacy Commissioner Malcolm Crompton has prepared an issues paper recommending changes to Commonwealth Privacy legislation which would offer patients greater access to their personal medical records held by doctors and other health professionals. (HM080700) Belinda Hickman p5 Flu hits young adults. A Newspoll survey has found that more than four million Australians were suffering from colds or flu at the beginning of last month. (HM080701) THE FINANCIAL REVIEW p17 Australian drug taking the strain out of flu. US resesarchers have praised the Australian drug Relenza as having a high flu-prevention level. (HM080702) THE SYDNEY MORNING HERALD Mark Robinson p3 AMA attacks `disgraceful' lack of funds. The Australian Medical Association has warned that the Westmead Hospital is likely to suffer a further reduction to services and bed closures following the proposed $9.5 million budget cut. Victorian Health Minister Rob Knowles will today hold talks with the AMA regarding the new budget measures for Westmead, with the AMA raising doctor concerns that public hospitals, due to lack of beds and funding, are failing to cope with the heavy demand for services. (HM080702) Paola Totaro p8 State's anti-drugs budget kept secret. The NSW Government has refused to reveal the amount of money spent on the State's drug problems, after ranking poorly in last year's national reports. (HM080705) THE AGE Sue Cant pA3 Suicide worries `not documented'. Victorian State Coroner Graeme Johnstone, investigating the four hanging deaths and one drug overdose at Port Phillip Prison, said yesterday that in each case there had been a communication breakdown with necessary information either missing or not documented, a key factor linking the five deaths. (HM080706) Mary-Anne Toy pA9 Asthma poorly managed: study. The National Asthma Strategy Implementation Plan has found that asthma remains poorly managed by both patients and health professionals. (HM080707) THE CANBERRA TIMES David McKlennan p1 Canberrans prone to sickness and mental ills: ABS report. The Australian Bureau of Statistics report ACT in Focus has found that Canberra residents have higher levels of illness and mental disorders than the national population. (HM080708) p6 NSW health system in crisis: doctors. NSW AMA president Kerryn Phelps yesterday said the State's doctors had become so demoralised by funding shortages they were prepared to publically expose the system's flaws. (HM080709) p6 He busts a gut every day to get fit, but he is hiding the truth? . University of SA health lecturer Murray Drummond says men suffering from anorexia tend to hide their symptoms as the disease is perceived to be a female problem. (HM080710) THE WEST AUSTRALIAN Wendy Pryer p1 Catholic Church to open drug farm. WA Catholic Archbishop Barry Hickey has backed a drug detoxification plan with users to spend between one and three years working on farms in the State's South-West while they recover. (HM080711) Francesca Hodge p5 Easing the pain of surgery. Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists president Richard Walsh discusses the latest feature of anaesthetics, perioperative medicine, which is designed to better prepare patients for operations and reduce the time they spend in hospital. (HM080712) Vittoria Rechici p9 SW faces trauma care crisis. South-West WA hospital emergency departments have been flooded with patients seeking non-emergency services due to a shortage of doctors in the region. (HM080713) Francesca Hodge p31 AMA chief faces angry reception. Australian Medical Association president of the WA branch Rosanna Capolingua-Host announced her support for the new `reform team' which has posted an official challenge to the AMA executive. (HM080714) Wendy Pryer p31 Anti-heroin drug won't prevent deaths: study. The WA Government drug treatment agency Next Step claims there is no evidence the rapid detoxification drug Naltrexone will cut the rate of drug deaths. (HM080715) Julie Butler p32 Canine detectors dog people trying to smuggle drugs into prisons. WA Justice Ministry figures reveal drug detector dogs used for random checks on prison visitors had alerted authorities to more than 300 drug-related items in the past six months. (HM080716) Francesca Hodge p38 Mental nurses tip rights risk. College of Mental Health Nurses WA vice president Michael Finn says nurses fear a controversial new mental health crisis plan could see psychiatric patients denied a hospital bed unless committed involuntarily. (HM080717) Francesca Hodge p41 Free alarms for seniors at risk. The WA Fire and Rescue Service and Silver Chain nurses have joined forces to identify elderly people most at risk if fire broke out in their homes. (HM080718) THE COURIER MAIL p3 Food benefits are all in the mind. Brisbane scientist William Brooks has found that boosting your IQ could be as simple as changing your diet to adjust the chemical levels in your brain. (HM080719) Debbie Beavan p3 Bottle tops as fearful consumers go to water. The International Bottled Water Association Australia has rejected the Australian Consumers Association's claim that some bottled water is drawn from unregulated and contaminated sources, saying that the water has to conform to the Australian and New Zealand Food Authority's standards. (HM080720) Phillip Hammond p5 `Sinister' GP guilty of genital touching. The Medical Assessment Tribunal has found that two out of the four charges laid against Qld GP Michael McGrane for sexual misconduct to be true. (HM080721) David Murray p7 Soft stand on alcohol as hard drug fears rise. A Federal Government Health Department study of teenage alcohol consumption has found few parents are concerned if their children drink to excess, with most more concerned about illicit drugs. (HM080722) Ali Lawlor p7 Pusher parents recruiting kids for schoolyard deals. A Qld alcohol and drug conference heard yesterday that parents and older male students have been recruiting school students to sell drugs. (HM080723) Marion McKay p14 In sickness and in health. A British and Norwegian study has found that growing up with a family pet reduces the incidence of allergies. (HM080724) ADELAIDE ADVERTISER p5 SA sites picked for nuclear dump. Samples have been taken from six potential SA sites for a nuclear waste dump, with the underground facility to be in operation by 2001. (HM080725) Belinda Huppatz p5 Rewards for keeping elderly healthy. Private health insurance funds are planning to offer members rewards for staying healthy. (HM080726) Barry Hailstone p24 Leading doctor quits in disgust over AMA's internal row. Australian Medical Association member for SA, Trevor Mudge has officially announced his resignation from the executive over the current leadership challenge which he claims threatens the future of the organisation. (HM080727) Nadine Williams p31 Council steps in to fill QEH gap. Charles Sturt Council has presented a maternity care plan to the SA Human Services Department, following concerns about the future of obstetric services at Adelaide's Queen Elizabeth Hospital. (HM080728) THE HERALD SUN Glenn Mitchell p3 Hospitals brace for bans. The Australian Health Professionals Association has warned that NSW Hospitals will shut down by Wednesday if the State Government refuses to allow a wage claim of up to 14 per cent. (HM080729) Karl Malakunas p12 Thais free Aussie. Melbourne man Peter Bojko, who and Charles was sentenced to 50 years in a Bangkok jail for Miranda drug trafficking, has been suddenly released after being diagnosed with a terminal illness. (HM080730) THE DAILY TELEGRAPH Kate Minogue and p1 Clogged up. The NSW Health Department yesterday Kim Sweetman admitted that a sharp increase in flu cases among the elderly had increased pressure on hospital beds. (HM080731) Natalie Williams p9 Teacher took drugs during class. Granville TAFE teacher Stephen Wilson has been found guilty of a $310,000 fraud committed against the college, with the funds used to feed his heroin habit. (HM080732) Jeff Turnbull p54 Less smoke, more fans needed. Australian Football League chief executive Wayne Jackson claims the smoking ban at the MCG could have contributed to the one per cent reduction in crowd numbers over the year. (HM080733) THE HOBART MERCURY Ellen Whinnett p3 Private ambulance service flying high. Ambulance Private, a privately owned ambulance service that transports stable patients for routine test and transfers, has become very successful with 22 casual employees, two full-time staff, three ambulances and a chartered helicopter and plane. (HM080734) Eve Lamb p5 Lindisfarne boy new victim of meningococcal. An 11-year-old Tas boy has become the State's seventh meningococcal disease victim this year. The boy's classmates have been contacted and warned of their contact with the potentially fatal disease. (HM080735) MAJOR MEDIA RELEASES Australian Media release. The Australian Association of Association of Surgeons says the only way to maintain the present Surgeons high standard of health care is for `the gap' to remain. (HM080367) Australian Media statement. The Australian Association of Association of Surgeons has expressed disappointment at the lack Surgeons of support provided for surgical services in rural Australia. (HM080737) Australian Doctors' Shepherd backs medical students. The Australian Fund Doctors' Fund has called on the Federal Government to address the concerns of medical students about the Medicare Provider Number legislation. (HM080738) Australian Medical Gangsters send a message to Government. The Students' Association Australian Medical Students' Association has protested against Federal Health and Aged Care Minister Michael Wooldridge at the Weld Club in Perth over his refusal to honour an election promise regarding Medicare Provider Number legislation. (HM080739) ELECTRONIC MEDIA SUMMARY 3LO 1630 7/7 Vic Gov not willing to negotiate. With major industrial disputes brewing in the health system this week Australian Health Professional Association Vic Secretary Kathy Jackson claims that despite major changes in public health sector, the Vic Government is not willing to negotiate over wages and conditions and put health professionals on the same wage increases as nurses. (Dur:03:54) (HM080740) 3AK 1600 7/7 Lowest level of Vic blood ever. With next week promoted as Blood Donor Week, Red Cross Blood Services Victoria director Patrick Coughlan claims this year is the worst on record in Vic for blood stocks in the blood bank, with the Red Cross having to import blood from Qld and SA and pointing to unemployment, stringency of questioning and the time it takes to give blood as contributions to the lessening of the number of blood donors in the State. Coughlan says people can donate blood at Southbank or local mobile clinics and can use the blood donation as a health check for their blood pressure, haemoglobin levels and blood type. (Dur:07:00) (HM080741) ABC 0830 7/7 Aussie men: too masculine to be healthy. Qld University of Technology School of Nursing spokesperson Neil Pledger has told the first undergraduate nursing conference now underway in Brisbane that Australian men, particularly those living in rural areas, are letting their obsession with masculinity get in the way of their health. (Dur:04:30) (HM080742) OTHER PRINT ARTICLES 8/7 Australian Anorexic men hide p2 8/7 Financial NRMA combatants declare hands p31 Review 8/7 Sydney Morning Flu not to be sniffed at: worst is yet to p3 Herald come 8/7 Sydney Morning Virtues of methadone p16 Herald 8/7 The Age When it's a battle just to breathe pA9 8/7 The Age Men hide eating disorders pA11 8/7 The Age Heroin detoxification programs pA18 8/7 Canberra Times Heroin plan at odds with tobacco laws p10 8/7 Canberra Times Writing is on the wall, but which p12 spelling? 8/7 Courier Mail Lobby tackles AMA p5 8/7 Adelaide Men the hidden side of anorexia p5 Advertiser 8/7 Adelaide Baby boy ninth victim of infection p7 Advertiser 8/7 Herald Sun Vox pop p16 8/7 Herald Sun A question of guts, PM p17 8/7 Daily Telegraph China buys cane toads p7 8/7 Hobart Mercury Union secretary resigns p9 8/7 Hobart Mercury Funds tactic on nursing homes: MHR p11 8/7 Hobart Mercury Safety of the elderly p14 8/7 Hobart Mercury GM food p18 8/7 Hobart Mercury Hospital p18 6/7 Examiner Diabetes group says no to offer of space p42 in LGH 5/7 Examiner Palliative care doctor visits p8 4/7 Sunday Examiner Firms urged to sponsor youth health p4 3/7 Border Mail Money versus beds p8 3/7 Border Mail Woman, 93, spent night on trolley p5 13/7 Bulletin The State of welfare p47 13/7 Bulletin General XXL p36 HEALTHMonitor is produced by Sarah Hanley, Kylie Falla and Lynda McMinn Transcripts, clippings, video and audio tapes, further information. 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