logo
Private health sector estimated to come out in ‘much better shape' following Healthscope crisis

Private health sector estimated to come out in ‘much better shape' following Healthscope crisis

Sky News AU27-05-2025
Private Healthcare Australia CEO Rachel David says there has been 'tremendous growth' in the number of Australians using private health insurance.
Ms David claims around 15 million Australians are equipped with the service.
'The reason it continues to grow is because of some of the struggles that the public hospitals have had … and people desire to have more control over when they have treatment and by whom,' Ms David told Sky News Australia.
'We think that the private hospital sector will emerge from this crisis in a much better shape than it was previously.'
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Kimberley residents urged to act on cancer symptoms amid worrying new data
Kimberley residents urged to act on cancer symptoms amid worrying new data

West Australian

time14 hours ago

  • West Australian

Kimberley residents urged to act on cancer symptoms amid worrying new data

Kimberley residents are being urged not to ignore potential cancer symptoms, with new data revealing almost half of regional West Australians would wait to see if symptoms disappeared on their own before seeking medical help. Cancer Council WA has relaunched its Give Yourself the Best Chance campaign under its Find Cancer Early program after survey results showed 16 per cent of respondents would simply ignore symptoms entirely. Kimberley regional education officer Michelle Wilson said while early detection messages were starting to resonate, there was still a long way to go. 'The Give Yourself the Best Chance campaign urges regional West Australians over 40 to give themselves the best chance of being around longer for their family and friends by seeing their doctor early if they notice any unusual changes in their body, like blood in their poo or wee, or coughing up blood,' Ms Wilson said. 'These latest survey results back up what previous research in WA has shown — people living in regional areas tend to seek help later than those in the city.' Ms Wilson said this could be due to lower awareness of cancer symptoms, a more laid-back attitude, or travel barriers that discouraged people from seeking help, all of which could lead to later stage cancer diagnoses. 'We know that people in regional Australia have lower five-year survival rates for all cancers combined when compared to metropolitan Australians,' she said. 'Putting off seeing your doctor, clinic nurse or Aboriginal health worker could cost you a good outcome.' The Cancer Council has urged people in the Kimberley region older than 40 to act on any unusual changes in their bodies and not to delay seeing a medical professional. 'If you notice blood in your poo or wee, or if you've coughed up blood, don't wait. Getting it checked doesn't necessarily mean you have cancer, but it's better to be safe,' Ms Wilson said. The organisation also reminded residents that national screening programs such as bowel cancer screening kits, cervical screening, and mammograms were only for people without symptoms, and waiting for screening instead of seeking immediate medical advice could lead to dangerous delays.

A man has died from Australian bat lyssavirus. Here's what you should know
A man has died from Australian bat lyssavirus. Here's what you should know

The Age

time14 hours ago

  • The Age

A man has died from Australian bat lyssavirus. Here's what you should know

Between January and June 2021, Wildlife Health Australia reported 27 cases of Australian bat lyssavirus in bats across Australia, with 14 occurring in Queensland, nine in NSW and two each in South Australia and Victoria. At June 2023, according to Wildlife Health Australia, there were 407 reported cases of Australian bat lyssavirus in bats across Australia over 28 years, since 1995. Keira Glasgow, a director in health protection at NSW Health, said on Wednesday that people should assume any bat in Australia could be carrying Australian bat lyssavirus. That includes flying foxes, other fruit bats and insect-eating microbats. How can Australian bat lyssavirus be passed on to humans? Like rabies, a bite or a scratch from an infected bat is how Australian bat lyssavirus is transmitted to humans. It can also be transmitted by other exposure through the eyes, nose or mouth to an infected animal's saliva. It's for this reason, Glasgow said, only trained and vaccinated wildlife workers should handle bats, and NSW Health advises in general to avoid handling any land-dwelling wild or domestic mammal in countries with a rabies virus risk. NSW Health advises anyone who sees a bat distressed, injured or trapped on the ground to not try to rescue it. Instead, people should call WIRES' trained experts on 1300 094 737 or local wildlife groups. What does lyssavirus do to humans, and what are the symptoms? Australian bat lyssavirus affects the central nervous system, with early symptoms being described as flu-like, including headaches, fever and fatigue. Eventually, the illness progresses to paralysis, with convulsions and delirium. Death usually comes within a fortnight of symptoms presenting. According to NSW Health, the previous three human cases of Australian bat lyssavirus had wide variability when it came to their incubation periods, as some took several days and others several years for symptoms to present. How is it different from the Hendra bat virus? Like rabies and Australian bat lyssavirus, there is no cure, medical treatment or human vaccine for Hendra virus, which is a rare disease that's passed from an infected horse to humans, with very few reported human cases in Australia. Since 2012, a vaccine for horses has been available. Loading Hendra virus, believed to be transmitted from flying foxes to horses via contaminated bat urine, droppings or saliva, is not the same as equine flu, which is highly contagious among horses but does not infect humans. It's also believed that Hendra virus is not transmitted to humans directly from flying foxes, only through human contact with an infected horse's bodily fluids. Human-to-human Hendra virus transmission has also not been reported. Should Australians be worried about lyssavirus? One fortunate aspect of Australian bat lyssavirus being so closely related to rabies is that rabies prevention measures can effectively protect humans from Australian bat lyssavirus when symptoms are detected early. 'It is incredibly rare for the virus to transmit to humans, but once symptoms of lyssavirus start in people who are scratched or bitten by an infected bat, sadly there is no effective treatment,' Glasgow said. 'If you are bitten or scratched by a bat, urgent medical assessment is crucial.' NSW Health said that in 2024, 118 people required medical assessment after being bitten or scratched by bats. The man who died this week received treatment several months ago after being bitten by a bat. Glasgow said further investigation was under way 'to understand whether other exposures or factors played a role in his illness'. Meanwhile, Dr Alison Peel, a veterinarian and wildlife disease ecologist at the University of Sydney, told this masthead that it's not the time to panic or 'persecute bats', as they are essential to our ecosystems.

A man has died from Australian bat lyssavirus. Here's what you should know
A man has died from Australian bat lyssavirus. Here's what you should know

Sydney Morning Herald

time14 hours ago

  • Sydney Morning Herald

A man has died from Australian bat lyssavirus. Here's what you should know

Between January and June 2021, Wildlife Health Australia reported 27 cases of Australian bat lyssavirus in bats across Australia, with 14 occurring in Queensland, nine in NSW and two each in South Australia and Victoria. At June 2023, according to Wildlife Health Australia, there were 407 reported cases of Australian bat lyssavirus in bats across Australia over 28 years, since 1995. Keira Glasgow, a director in health protection at NSW Health, said on Wednesday that people should assume any bat in Australia could be carrying Australian bat lyssavirus. That includes flying foxes, other fruit bats and insect-eating microbats. How can Australian bat lyssavirus be passed on to humans? Like rabies, a bite or a scratch from an infected bat is how Australian bat lyssavirus is transmitted to humans. It can also be transmitted by other exposure through the eyes, nose or mouth to an infected animal's saliva. It's for this reason, Glasgow said, only trained and vaccinated wildlife workers should handle bats, and NSW Health advises in general to avoid handling any land-dwelling wild or domestic mammal in countries with a rabies virus risk. NSW Health advises anyone who sees a bat distressed, injured or trapped on the ground to not try to rescue it. Instead, people should call WIRES' trained experts on 1300 094 737 or local wildlife groups. What does lyssavirus do to humans, and what are the symptoms? Australian bat lyssavirus affects the central nervous system, with early symptoms being described as flu-like, including headaches, fever and fatigue. Eventually, the illness progresses to paralysis, with convulsions and delirium. Death usually comes within a fortnight of symptoms presenting. According to NSW Health, the previous three human cases of Australian bat lyssavirus had wide variability when it came to their incubation periods, as some took several days and others several years for symptoms to present. How is it different from the Hendra bat virus? Like rabies and Australian bat lyssavirus, there is no cure, medical treatment or human vaccine for Hendra virus, which is a rare disease that's passed from an infected horse to humans, with very few reported human cases in Australia. Since 2012, a vaccine for horses has been available. Loading Hendra virus, believed to be transmitted from flying foxes to horses via contaminated bat urine, droppings or saliva, is not the same as equine flu, which is highly contagious among horses but does not infect humans. It's also believed that Hendra virus is not transmitted to humans directly from flying foxes, only through human contact with an infected horse's bodily fluids. Human-to-human Hendra virus transmission has also not been reported. Should Australians be worried about lyssavirus? One fortunate aspect of Australian bat lyssavirus being so closely related to rabies is that rabies prevention measures can effectively protect humans from Australian bat lyssavirus when symptoms are detected early. 'It is incredibly rare for the virus to transmit to humans, but once symptoms of lyssavirus start in people who are scratched or bitten by an infected bat, sadly there is no effective treatment,' Glasgow said. 'If you are bitten or scratched by a bat, urgent medical assessment is crucial.' NSW Health said that in 2024, 118 people required medical assessment after being bitten or scratched by bats. The man who died this week received treatment several months ago after being bitten by a bat. Glasgow said further investigation was under way 'to understand whether other exposures or factors played a role in his illness'. Meanwhile, Dr Alison Peel, a veterinarian and wildlife disease ecologist at the University of Sydney, told this masthead that it's not the time to panic or 'persecute bats', as they are essential to our ecosystems.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store