NSW hospitals costing taxpayers $40 million over failed cybersecurity measures
Several NSW hospitals are failing to meet basic cybersecurity standards and are putting patient records at risk of hackers.
The Audit Office can reveal the state's local districts are not effectively managing cybersecurity risks at NSW hospitals.
Patient medical records are at risk of being hacked, despite government protection measures, costing taxpayers $40 million.
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News.com.au
an hour ago
- News.com.au
Green light for psychedelic drugs trial to treat binge-eating
Australian researchers will soon deploy a psychedelic compound found in 'magic mushrooms' to treat binge-eating in a world-first clinical trial. Experimental healthcare company Tryptamine Therapeutics announced the radical trial in a statement to the Australian Securities Exchange this week, telling investors Swinburne University would conduct the open-label research on 12 patients suffering from binge-eating disorder. Open-label means there are no placebos involved and all patients and researchers know what is being administered. The patients will receives two doses of TRP-8803, a psilocin-based IV infusion. Psilocin, which is produced when psilocybin is broken down in the body, is a psychedelic compound that triggers changes in mood, perception and thinking patterns. Cognitive neuropsychologist Professor Susan Rossell, from Swinburne, designed the trial with Tryptamine and told NewsWire she hoped the psychedelics would open up the trial's participants to new ways of thinking. 'What we have found in other psychedelics work is that the psychedelic itself opens up people to think differently,' she said. 'And one of the things that we know with a lot of mental health conditions, is they start to have repetitive thinking and it becomes very rigid. 'So people with binge eating disorder, 'I need to consume lots of food to help with my emotional issues'. 'They are in that very stuck, rigid thought pattern and they can't find other ways to deal with their life stressors.' Binge-eating is the uncontrollable consumption of food and can lead to a range of serious health problems, including social isolation and weight gain. It is the second most common eating disorder in Australia. In the US, an estimated 1.25 per cent of adults experience the disorder each year and 1.6 per cent of teenagers aged 13 to 18 are affected. 'It's extraordinarily costly,' Professor Rossell said. The trial is expected to run for three to four months, with initial results due at the end of the year. Tryptamine CEO Jason Carroll said the primary objective of the trial was to assess TRP-8803's utility in treating the disorder, but it could also generate insights into how the product might help with other neuropsychiatric disorders. 'With patient recruitment initiatives now underway, we look forward to first enrolment and the commencement of baseline data generation from participations, prior to first patient dosing,' he said. Clinical trials involving psychedelics to treat medical conditions are growing around the world, but the impacts are not yet clear. Psychedelic drugs are illegal in Australia and there is evidence that consuming mind-altering substances can lead to adverse outcomes. A study on single-dose Psilocybin for treatment-resistant depression, funded by psychedelics company Compass Pathways and published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2022, revealed mixed results, with most participants experiencing 'adverse events'. 'Adverse events occurred in 179 of 233 participants (77 per cent) and included headache, nausea, and dizziness,' the researchers found. A small number of participants suffered serious negative impacts, the study revealed, including suicidal ideation and intentional self-injury. Professor Rossell said the Swinburne trial would be safe. 'I don't know whether these medications are going to work or not but I've worked with them now for two years and I haven't had anything negative happen with anybody in my trials, in the right and safe environment,' she said. She also said the use of an IV solution added an additional layer of control. 'The IV is even more safe,' she said. 'If we start to be aware that the person is having an unpleasant reaction, we can stop it straight away with the IV. 'With the oral preparations, they have to work through it. And it can leave people with some unpleasant feelings.' Tryptamine, a listed company with a market capitalisation of $43m, stresses the 'confirmed reversibility' of TRP-8803 as a key selling point for the product. 'This formulation aims to overcome several limitations of oral psilocybin, including significantly reducing the time to onset of the psychedelic state, controlling the depth and duration of the experience and reducing the overall duration of the intervention to a commercially feasible time-frame,' the company states. 'TRP-8803 also provides dosing flexibility and the ability to terminate treatment if the patient is experiencing an adverse event.' The company held $4.6m in cash as of March 31.
7NEWS
an hour ago
- 7NEWS
Patients seek reassurances after IVF mix-ups at Monash
Alarms firing off in an IVF lab as work grinds to a halt may sound like the start of a technology meltdown but at many of Australia's major fertility clinics it's actually a sign safety systems are kicking into gear. Known as electronic witnessing, the mechanism prevents tissue mix ups and involves multiple layers of identity-document checks by humans and computers. While rarely needed, it's a safeguard standard that's becoming the norm in an industry suddenly needing to win back public trust following revelations of two devastating errors at one of Australia's biggest facilities. The first saw a mother give birth to another couple's biological child after she was impregnated with the wrong embryo at Monash IVF in Brisbane some years ago. The other involved a woman incorrectly receiving her own embryo instead of one from her same-sex partner as requested, which happened at the company's Melbourne clinic earlier in June. Trust 'eroded' The bungles have sparked a rush of patients reaching out to fertility clinics seeking reassurances about their own sperm, eggs, embryos and children. 'At the moment, the trust in the industry has been eroded,' says Connect IVF scientific director Lauren Hiser. 'It certainly opened up the conversation again. 'I do believe those questions inherently are always there but it's probably made patients verbalise it a little.' She's found explaining electronic and human witnessing practices at her own facility in Sydney have put patients' minds at ease but knows it will take time for confidence to return. Monash IVF has repeatedly apologised and vowed to introduce additional verification processes over and above normal practices. About 40 IVF-related rules Official probes into what happened are under way, with the company yet to offer explanations for how the mix ups occurred beyond two ASX announcements. Pink Elephants Support Network chief operating officer Jen Tupaea is among many Monash IVF patients wanting to know more. She's noticed a general sense of uneasiness set in among IVF parents across Australia and believes patients need more reassurances that all due diligence is done. 'There's already a lot of uncertainty and worry and sort of lack of control and I think this just adds another element to that,' Ms Tupaea says. 'Patchwork' is a term often used to describe the 40-odd pieces of legislation affecting IVF in Australian states and territories. There's variations on anything from how long embryos can be stored to how many families can use the same sperm donor and even certain states banning overseas donor eggs. Until now, the industry has largely been left to regulate itself through yearly accreditations but the mix ups spurred health ministers including Victoria's Mary-Anne Thomas to unite behind a push to explore national regulation. It's something Pink Elephants supports, with Ms Tupaea describing IVF regulation as 'a bit of a black box'. Add-on treatments She's aware of parents worried about what would happen if a similar devastating mix up occurred at a smaller clinic that doesn't have ASX reporting requirements. 'The main concern when something like that comes up is, why are we hearing about it now, and what are we not hearing about?' she says. Australia's first IVF baby was born 45 years ago and now some 20,000 babies conceived through IVF are born here each year. Greater regulation is also something clinicians want, Ms Hiser explains. 'We regulated ourselves because no one enforced it upon us and because we saw the need for patient safety,' she says. 'We've done a very good job of that up until now, and that's why I'm very curious to find out exactly what went wrong (at Monash IVF) because we're having a hard time ... understanding how it did happen.' IVF researcher and University of Melbourne Senior Research Fellow Sarah Lensen wants any future regulation to also include greater monitoring of 'add-on' treatments. She specialises in evaluating their safety and effectiveness, saying for the most part there isn't a lot of good evidence they help patients. 'The banking industry is highly regulated and I think for the better, so I don't know why we wouldn't accept independent regulation in this space,' Dr Lensen says. City Fertility Group's Victorian Scientific Director Jayne Mullen wants patients to have confidence regardless of how big a clinic is, professionals are bound by strict accreditation and licensing requirements so any mistakes must be reported to health authorities. 'We're continuously monitored and audited, we are obliged to report any serious adverse event,' she says. The scientist is also fielding more calls than usual from concerned parents, offering to take them through laboratories. While fully confident in their use of electronic witnessing and human verification, she says the Monash IVF mix ups still cause her to pause and review protocols. 'Doctors, nurses, scientists, everyone that's working in our IVF industry, we have the best of intentions, we want everyone to walk away with a happy, healthy baby,' she says. 'Mistakes are so rare.' Both Ms Mullen and Ms Hiser find explaining safety controls has put many patients at ease, urging anyone still feeling nervous about treatments to reach out to their providers. 'If they don't, say, have an electronic witnessing system in place ask them why don't you, why do my fees not cover you having this extra layer of security?' Ms Hiser says. 'If you don't have that, fine, that's okay but tell me how you control (safety). 'If you still have questions after that, then maybe ask yourself are they the people that I want to be doing my IVF journey with?'
The Advertiser
4 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Senior Hamas figure behind Oct 7 attack killed: Israel
The Israeli military says it has killed a senior Hamas commander in an airstrike on the Gaza Strip. Hakham al-Issa, described as one of the founders of the Palestinian Islamist group and a leading figure in its military wing, was said to have been involved in planning and executing the October 7, 2023, attacks in Israel. The attacks triggered Israel's ongoing war with Hamas in Gaza. More than 56,400 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks in the sealed-off territory, according to figures from the Hamas-run health ministry. According to the Israeli military, al-Issa was one of the last remaining high-ranking Hamas commanders in Gaza. He most recently served as chief of staff for the group's "combat and administrative support division". Meanwhile, Israeli strikes killed at least 72 people across Gaza overnight into Saturday local time, health workers said, as ceasefire prospects were said to be improving after 21 months of war. Three children and their parents were killed in an Israeli strike on a tent camp in Muwasi near the southern city of Khan Younis. They were struck while sleeping, relatives said. "What did these children do to them? What is their fault?" said the children's grandmother, Suad Abu Teima, as others knelt to kiss their bloodied faces and wept. Some placed red flowers into the body bags. Also among the dead were 12 people near the Palestine Stadium in Gaza City, which was sheltering displaced people, and eight more in apartments, according to staff at Shifa Hospital. More than 20 bodies were taken to Nasser Hospital, according to health officials. A midday strike killed 11 people on a street in eastern Gaza City, and their bodies were taken to Al-Ahli Hospital. US President Donald Trump says there could be a ceasefire agreement within the next week. Taking questions from reporters, he said, "We're working on Gaza and trying to get it taken care of." Indirect talks between Israel and Hamas have been on again, off again since Israel broke the latest ceasefire in March, continuing its military campaign in Gaza and furthering the territory's dire humanitarian crisis. Some 50 hostages remain in Gaza, fewer than half believed to still be alive. They were among 251 hostages taken when Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, killing more than 1200 people, according to Israeli authorities. Meanwhile, hungry Palestinians are enduring a catastrophic situation in Gaza. After blocking all food for two-and-a-half months, Israel has allowed only a trickle of supplies into the territory since mid-May. More than 500 Palestinians have been killed and hundreds more wounded while seeking food since the newly formed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation began distributing aid in the territory about a month ago, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. Palestinian witnesses say Israeli troops have opened fire at crowds on roads heading toward the sites. The Israeli military says it has only fired warning shots and it was investigating incidents in which civilians had been harmed while approaching the sites. Thousands of Palestinians walk for hours to reach the sites, moving through Israeli military zones. Separate efforts by the United Nations to distribute limited food have been plagued by armed gangs looting trucks and by crowds of desperate people offloading supplies from convoys. The latest death toll included two people killed by Israeli gunfire while waiting to receive aid near the Netzarim corridor, a road that separates northern and southern Gaza, according to Al-Shifa and Al-Awda hospitals, which each received one body. There was no immediate Israeli military comment. With AP The Israeli military says it has killed a senior Hamas commander in an airstrike on the Gaza Strip. Hakham al-Issa, described as one of the founders of the Palestinian Islamist group and a leading figure in its military wing, was said to have been involved in planning and executing the October 7, 2023, attacks in Israel. The attacks triggered Israel's ongoing war with Hamas in Gaza. More than 56,400 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks in the sealed-off territory, according to figures from the Hamas-run health ministry. According to the Israeli military, al-Issa was one of the last remaining high-ranking Hamas commanders in Gaza. He most recently served as chief of staff for the group's "combat and administrative support division". Meanwhile, Israeli strikes killed at least 72 people across Gaza overnight into Saturday local time, health workers said, as ceasefire prospects were said to be improving after 21 months of war. Three children and their parents were killed in an Israeli strike on a tent camp in Muwasi near the southern city of Khan Younis. They were struck while sleeping, relatives said. "What did these children do to them? What is their fault?" said the children's grandmother, Suad Abu Teima, as others knelt to kiss their bloodied faces and wept. Some placed red flowers into the body bags. Also among the dead were 12 people near the Palestine Stadium in Gaza City, which was sheltering displaced people, and eight more in apartments, according to staff at Shifa Hospital. More than 20 bodies were taken to Nasser Hospital, according to health officials. A midday strike killed 11 people on a street in eastern Gaza City, and their bodies were taken to Al-Ahli Hospital. US President Donald Trump says there could be a ceasefire agreement within the next week. Taking questions from reporters, he said, "We're working on Gaza and trying to get it taken care of." Indirect talks between Israel and Hamas have been on again, off again since Israel broke the latest ceasefire in March, continuing its military campaign in Gaza and furthering the territory's dire humanitarian crisis. Some 50 hostages remain in Gaza, fewer than half believed to still be alive. They were among 251 hostages taken when Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, killing more than 1200 people, according to Israeli authorities. Meanwhile, hungry Palestinians are enduring a catastrophic situation in Gaza. After blocking all food for two-and-a-half months, Israel has allowed only a trickle of supplies into the territory since mid-May. More than 500 Palestinians have been killed and hundreds more wounded while seeking food since the newly formed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation began distributing aid in the territory about a month ago, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. Palestinian witnesses say Israeli troops have opened fire at crowds on roads heading toward the sites. The Israeli military says it has only fired warning shots and it was investigating incidents in which civilians had been harmed while approaching the sites. Thousands of Palestinians walk for hours to reach the sites, moving through Israeli military zones. Separate efforts by the United Nations to distribute limited food have been plagued by armed gangs looting trucks and by crowds of desperate people offloading supplies from convoys. The latest death toll included two people killed by Israeli gunfire while waiting to receive aid near the Netzarim corridor, a road that separates northern and southern Gaza, according to Al-Shifa and Al-Awda hospitals, which each received one body. There was no immediate Israeli military comment. With AP The Israeli military says it has killed a senior Hamas commander in an airstrike on the Gaza Strip. Hakham al-Issa, described as one of the founders of the Palestinian Islamist group and a leading figure in its military wing, was said to have been involved in planning and executing the October 7, 2023, attacks in Israel. The attacks triggered Israel's ongoing war with Hamas in Gaza. More than 56,400 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks in the sealed-off territory, according to figures from the Hamas-run health ministry. According to the Israeli military, al-Issa was one of the last remaining high-ranking Hamas commanders in Gaza. He most recently served as chief of staff for the group's "combat and administrative support division". Meanwhile, Israeli strikes killed at least 72 people across Gaza overnight into Saturday local time, health workers said, as ceasefire prospects were said to be improving after 21 months of war. Three children and their parents were killed in an Israeli strike on a tent camp in Muwasi near the southern city of Khan Younis. They were struck while sleeping, relatives said. "What did these children do to them? What is their fault?" said the children's grandmother, Suad Abu Teima, as others knelt to kiss their bloodied faces and wept. Some placed red flowers into the body bags. Also among the dead were 12 people near the Palestine Stadium in Gaza City, which was sheltering displaced people, and eight more in apartments, according to staff at Shifa Hospital. More than 20 bodies were taken to Nasser Hospital, according to health officials. A midday strike killed 11 people on a street in eastern Gaza City, and their bodies were taken to Al-Ahli Hospital. US President Donald Trump says there could be a ceasefire agreement within the next week. Taking questions from reporters, he said, "We're working on Gaza and trying to get it taken care of." Indirect talks between Israel and Hamas have been on again, off again since Israel broke the latest ceasefire in March, continuing its military campaign in Gaza and furthering the territory's dire humanitarian crisis. Some 50 hostages remain in Gaza, fewer than half believed to still be alive. They were among 251 hostages taken when Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, killing more than 1200 people, according to Israeli authorities. Meanwhile, hungry Palestinians are enduring a catastrophic situation in Gaza. After blocking all food for two-and-a-half months, Israel has allowed only a trickle of supplies into the territory since mid-May. More than 500 Palestinians have been killed and hundreds more wounded while seeking food since the newly formed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation began distributing aid in the territory about a month ago, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. Palestinian witnesses say Israeli troops have opened fire at crowds on roads heading toward the sites. The Israeli military says it has only fired warning shots and it was investigating incidents in which civilians had been harmed while approaching the sites. Thousands of Palestinians walk for hours to reach the sites, moving through Israeli military zones. Separate efforts by the United Nations to distribute limited food have been plagued by armed gangs looting trucks and by crowds of desperate people offloading supplies from convoys. The latest death toll included two people killed by Israeli gunfire while waiting to receive aid near the Netzarim corridor, a road that separates northern and southern Gaza, according to Al-Shifa and Al-Awda hospitals, which each received one body. There was no immediate Israeli military comment. With AP The Israeli military says it has killed a senior Hamas commander in an airstrike on the Gaza Strip. Hakham al-Issa, described as one of the founders of the Palestinian Islamist group and a leading figure in its military wing, was said to have been involved in planning and executing the October 7, 2023, attacks in Israel. The attacks triggered Israel's ongoing war with Hamas in Gaza. More than 56,400 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks in the sealed-off territory, according to figures from the Hamas-run health ministry. According to the Israeli military, al-Issa was one of the last remaining high-ranking Hamas commanders in Gaza. He most recently served as chief of staff for the group's "combat and administrative support division". Meanwhile, Israeli strikes killed at least 72 people across Gaza overnight into Saturday local time, health workers said, as ceasefire prospects were said to be improving after 21 months of war. Three children and their parents were killed in an Israeli strike on a tent camp in Muwasi near the southern city of Khan Younis. They were struck while sleeping, relatives said. "What did these children do to them? What is their fault?" said the children's grandmother, Suad Abu Teima, as others knelt to kiss their bloodied faces and wept. Some placed red flowers into the body bags. Also among the dead were 12 people near the Palestine Stadium in Gaza City, which was sheltering displaced people, and eight more in apartments, according to staff at Shifa Hospital. More than 20 bodies were taken to Nasser Hospital, according to health officials. A midday strike killed 11 people on a street in eastern Gaza City, and their bodies were taken to Al-Ahli Hospital. US President Donald Trump says there could be a ceasefire agreement within the next week. Taking questions from reporters, he said, "We're working on Gaza and trying to get it taken care of." Indirect talks between Israel and Hamas have been on again, off again since Israel broke the latest ceasefire in March, continuing its military campaign in Gaza and furthering the territory's dire humanitarian crisis. Some 50 hostages remain in Gaza, fewer than half believed to still be alive. They were among 251 hostages taken when Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, killing more than 1200 people, according to Israeli authorities. Meanwhile, hungry Palestinians are enduring a catastrophic situation in Gaza. After blocking all food for two-and-a-half months, Israel has allowed only a trickle of supplies into the territory since mid-May. More than 500 Palestinians have been killed and hundreds more wounded while seeking food since the newly formed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation began distributing aid in the territory about a month ago, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. Palestinian witnesses say Israeli troops have opened fire at crowds on roads heading toward the sites. The Israeli military says it has only fired warning shots and it was investigating incidents in which civilians had been harmed while approaching the sites. Thousands of Palestinians walk for hours to reach the sites, moving through Israeli military zones. Separate efforts by the United Nations to distribute limited food have been plagued by armed gangs looting trucks and by crowds of desperate people offloading supplies from convoys. The latest death toll included two people killed by Israeli gunfire while waiting to receive aid near the Netzarim corridor, a road that separates northern and southern Gaza, according to Al-Shifa and Al-Awda hospitals, which each received one body. There was no immediate Israeli military comment. With AP
