Latest news with #DanielleMcMullen
ABC News
10-07-2025
- Health
- ABC News
Battling flu season and sick kids? Here's what the experts say you should do
Every parent has been there — your child is sick with a nasty virus, you're worried and not sure what to do. Do you call your GP? A health line? Or do you drive them straight to the hospital emergency department? We've asked the experts for their tips for parents as cold and flu season gathers pace. Let's get straight to the most important stuff to look out for. GP and president of the Australian Medical Association (AMA), Danielle McMullen, has a crucial message for parents. "The first thing is that there's no such thing as overreacting. As a parent you know your child best," Dr McMullen said. "If your child has had a fever for more than five days, we always want to check in. Or if your child is less than three months old and has any fever — 38 degrees and above — we recommend actually taking them either urgently to the GP or to the emergency department," Dr McMullen said. She said children who have had a seizure, are in severe pain or are struggling to eat or breathe because of mucus need to see a GP or head to emergency. The same applies for new rashes or behavioural concerns. "If they're either more sleepy than you would expect and you're really having difficulty rousing them or … if your child is so unwell and irritable that you really can't calm them down and you're worried about how they're behaving, then get some medical advice. Earaches are common at this time of year and experts recommend seeing a GP if your child has been complaining of a sore ear for 24 to 48 hours. "We don't expect parents to know and be able to tell the difference between a minor illness and a severe one. So, if you're worried you bring them in and then it's my job to help work [it] out," Dr McMullen said. Parents should feel empowered to call for help if they're worried about their unwell child, medical experts said. "Ultimately, I very much trust families. If you're worried, it's good to seek medical help," paediatrician Sarah McNab, director of general medicine at the Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne, said. "If your child seems to be getting worse rather than better, if you're worried about their breathing, or that they're drowsy or confused, then seeking medical advice is what you should be doing." Dr McNab said if a child was "pale and mottled" they should get medical help. "Or if you don't feel that they're drinking enough to stay hydrated, then I would seek medical advice and in that case I would consider going to your GP, organising a telehealth or some states have a virtual emergency department that is really helpful at letting you know whether you should come in person or not," she said. You can call Health Direct on 1800 022 222, your GP, or take you child to the emergency department. For emergencies, call 000. Don't hesitate to give regular pain relief to sick kids. "The mainstay of treatment of coughs and colds in childhood and in viral illnesses is rest, plenty of fluids, because the main risk is dehydration, and paracetamol or ibuprofen helps alleviate their symptoms so that they can sleep and keep their fluids up," Dr McMullen said. And for kids with low fevers, who are a bit grumbly and snotty but are still alert and playing, love is also an "excellent medicine". "These viral illnesses, there's not much we can do to get them better quicker and so it is about giving them a cuddle, some reassurance … to get them feeling a little bit better. "It's rest and love and nurturing that is really all that will get them through it. "The good news is that icy poles count as fluids, so if you can't get them to be drinking water or watered down juice, then those icy blocks are a good way to keep their fluids up." Not exactly, Dr McMullen said. "Cold and flu respiratory illnesses spread through the air and droplets and so when it's cold outside and we've huddled indoors with all the doors and windows closed, we're more likely to spread illness between people. "So that's why we get that seasonal spread." And of course staying up to date with vaccinations is also important.
Times
07-07-2025
- Health
- Times
Australia's poker machine influencers ‘fuelling gambling addiction'
A social media trend has been accused of glamorising gambling on poker machines by Australia's top body for doctors, as it calls on politicians to restrict the viral content. Videos and live streams have cropped up across the country's social media showing influencers inserting hundreds of dollars into slot machines, known as poker machines, or pokies, in Australia. Some so-called 'pokies influencers' promise to pour money into the machines until their accounts gain a certain number of followers. At least one video appears to show a small child gambling on an iPad with comments reading 'good time to start' and 'teach 'em young'. Danielle McMullen, the president of the Australian Medical Association, said the 'shocking' content clearly targets young people and seeks 'to glamorise what is a dangerous habit'. 'These videos show that our regulations around gambling just aren't keeping up with the 21st century,' she added. 'They are essentially ads for gambling and our governments need to take a long hard look about how we get on top of this content.' The videos uploaded to Instagram with hashtags like 'pokieswin' show users winning huge jackpots without documenting their losses. One influencer, Jon Redman, offers to put a A$1,000 (£478) on red on a casino roulette machine for every 10,000 new followers. The trend comes after a report published last month suggested that despite declining participation in gambling, electronic gaming machines have led to an 'intensification effect since 2014, where higher gambling spend is concentrated among fewer players'. Those who were at higher risk of gambling harm were deemed to be most vulnerable, and could be exposed to tangible costs including bankruptcy. The report by the Victorian government found the social cost of gambling in the state doubled from A$7 billion in 2014-15 to A$14 billion in 2022-23. Commenting on the latest trend on Instagram, Meta, the company that owns the social media platform, said it would 'remove any content that does not comply with our standards as soon as we become aware' of it. 'Both the advertiser and creator must obtain written permission to promote real money gambling and must comply with all applicable Australian laws and regulations,' a Meta spokesperson told The Guardian newspaper. • It could be game over for Australia as world's sports betting capital The uploads, despite allegedly promoting gambling, do not seem to have been published in partnership with any gambling company or venue so can not be strictly defined as advertising. Last month, Australian influencers faced fines for inadvertently promoting an offshore bookmaker licensed and regulated from a remote island off the east coast of Africa. The Australian Communications and Media Authority has threatened influencers with fines up to A$59,400 for 'promoting or publicising illegal online gambling services'. Videos posted by multiple influencers linked to Leon Australia's website, which provides online sports betting, and shared financial incentives for users to create accounts. Jon Redman was approached for comment.
The Advertiser
16-06-2025
- Health
- The Advertiser
Mental health hit hardest amid exorbitant doctor fees
Psychiatry has topped the list of extreme fee-charging medical specialties, with those seeking vital mental health care among the hardest hit. A report from a public policy think tank has found about 1.9 million Australians are delaying or skipping critical medical care due to exorbitant fees for specialist doctors. The Grattan Institute report also highlights access to specialist care in Australia is a "postcode lottery", with people living in well-served areas receiving about a third more services than disadvantaged communities. Average out-of-pocket costs for extreme-fee-charging specialists in 2023 reached $671 for psychiatry services and more than $350 for endocrinology, cardiology, paediatrics, immunology and neurology services. The fees are resulting in "too many people are missing out on specialist mental health care", according to the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists. "Access to psychiatric care is a major issue ... along with workforce shortages, high out-of-pocket costs and maldistribution of psychiatrists in rural and remote parts of the country," the spokesperson said. About 28.7 per cent of people who needed to see a psychiatrist either delayed or did not see one due to costs in 2023/24, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics. In March, concerns over access deepened when it was revealed that more than 140 of 433 psychiatrist positions were vacant in NSW, following a stand-off over pay in the public health system. Grattan's Health Program director Peter Breadon told AAP the system was broken from start to end. The report outlines recommendations to address these growing issues, including scrapping Medicare subsidies for specialists who charge excessive fees and publicly naming those practitioners to increase accountability. It also urges governments to fund additional specialist appointments annually in under-serviced areas, and invest $160 million to expand training in undersupplied specialties and rural regions. The RANZCP spokesperson told AAP it supported several of the recommendations, including the need for structural changes to improve the affordability of psychiatric care in private outpatient clinics and consulting rooms. "Medicare is meant to be the backbone of our health system, and yet mental health services are chronically underfunded," they said. Australian Medical Association president Danielle McMullen supports most of Grattan's recommendations, but said removing Medicare funding from specialists who charged excessive fees was not practical. She urged leaders to sort out longer-term funding for public hospitals and develop a health workforce data tracker to show where investment was needed. Federal Health Minister Mark Butler said private health insurers and specialists needed to do more to protect patients from exorbitant bills. Psychiatry has topped the list of extreme fee-charging medical specialties, with those seeking vital mental health care among the hardest hit. A report from a public policy think tank has found about 1.9 million Australians are delaying or skipping critical medical care due to exorbitant fees for specialist doctors. The Grattan Institute report also highlights access to specialist care in Australia is a "postcode lottery", with people living in well-served areas receiving about a third more services than disadvantaged communities. Average out-of-pocket costs for extreme-fee-charging specialists in 2023 reached $671 for psychiatry services and more than $350 for endocrinology, cardiology, paediatrics, immunology and neurology services. The fees are resulting in "too many people are missing out on specialist mental health care", according to the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists. "Access to psychiatric care is a major issue ... along with workforce shortages, high out-of-pocket costs and maldistribution of psychiatrists in rural and remote parts of the country," the spokesperson said. About 28.7 per cent of people who needed to see a psychiatrist either delayed or did not see one due to costs in 2023/24, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics. In March, concerns over access deepened when it was revealed that more than 140 of 433 psychiatrist positions were vacant in NSW, following a stand-off over pay in the public health system. Grattan's Health Program director Peter Breadon told AAP the system was broken from start to end. The report outlines recommendations to address these growing issues, including scrapping Medicare subsidies for specialists who charge excessive fees and publicly naming those practitioners to increase accountability. It also urges governments to fund additional specialist appointments annually in under-serviced areas, and invest $160 million to expand training in undersupplied specialties and rural regions. The RANZCP spokesperson told AAP it supported several of the recommendations, including the need for structural changes to improve the affordability of psychiatric care in private outpatient clinics and consulting rooms. "Medicare is meant to be the backbone of our health system, and yet mental health services are chronically underfunded," they said. Australian Medical Association president Danielle McMullen supports most of Grattan's recommendations, but said removing Medicare funding from specialists who charged excessive fees was not practical. She urged leaders to sort out longer-term funding for public hospitals and develop a health workforce data tracker to show where investment was needed. Federal Health Minister Mark Butler said private health insurers and specialists needed to do more to protect patients from exorbitant bills. Psychiatry has topped the list of extreme fee-charging medical specialties, with those seeking vital mental health care among the hardest hit. A report from a public policy think tank has found about 1.9 million Australians are delaying or skipping critical medical care due to exorbitant fees for specialist doctors. The Grattan Institute report also highlights access to specialist care in Australia is a "postcode lottery", with people living in well-served areas receiving about a third more services than disadvantaged communities. Average out-of-pocket costs for extreme-fee-charging specialists in 2023 reached $671 for psychiatry services and more than $350 for endocrinology, cardiology, paediatrics, immunology and neurology services. The fees are resulting in "too many people are missing out on specialist mental health care", according to the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists. "Access to psychiatric care is a major issue ... along with workforce shortages, high out-of-pocket costs and maldistribution of psychiatrists in rural and remote parts of the country," the spokesperson said. About 28.7 per cent of people who needed to see a psychiatrist either delayed or did not see one due to costs in 2023/24, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics. In March, concerns over access deepened when it was revealed that more than 140 of 433 psychiatrist positions were vacant in NSW, following a stand-off over pay in the public health system. Grattan's Health Program director Peter Breadon told AAP the system was broken from start to end. The report outlines recommendations to address these growing issues, including scrapping Medicare subsidies for specialists who charge excessive fees and publicly naming those practitioners to increase accountability. It also urges governments to fund additional specialist appointments annually in under-serviced areas, and invest $160 million to expand training in undersupplied specialties and rural regions. The RANZCP spokesperson told AAP it supported several of the recommendations, including the need for structural changes to improve the affordability of psychiatric care in private outpatient clinics and consulting rooms. "Medicare is meant to be the backbone of our health system, and yet mental health services are chronically underfunded," they said. Australian Medical Association president Danielle McMullen supports most of Grattan's recommendations, but said removing Medicare funding from specialists who charged excessive fees was not practical. She urged leaders to sort out longer-term funding for public hospitals and develop a health workforce data tracker to show where investment was needed. Federal Health Minister Mark Butler said private health insurers and specialists needed to do more to protect patients from exorbitant bills. Psychiatry has topped the list of extreme fee-charging medical specialties, with those seeking vital mental health care among the hardest hit. A report from a public policy think tank has found about 1.9 million Australians are delaying or skipping critical medical care due to exorbitant fees for specialist doctors. The Grattan Institute report also highlights access to specialist care in Australia is a "postcode lottery", with people living in well-served areas receiving about a third more services than disadvantaged communities. Average out-of-pocket costs for extreme-fee-charging specialists in 2023 reached $671 for psychiatry services and more than $350 for endocrinology, cardiology, paediatrics, immunology and neurology services. The fees are resulting in "too many people are missing out on specialist mental health care", according to the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists. "Access to psychiatric care is a major issue ... along with workforce shortages, high out-of-pocket costs and maldistribution of psychiatrists in rural and remote parts of the country," the spokesperson said. About 28.7 per cent of people who needed to see a psychiatrist either delayed or did not see one due to costs in 2023/24, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics. In March, concerns over access deepened when it was revealed that more than 140 of 433 psychiatrist positions were vacant in NSW, following a stand-off over pay in the public health system. Grattan's Health Program director Peter Breadon told AAP the system was broken from start to end. The report outlines recommendations to address these growing issues, including scrapping Medicare subsidies for specialists who charge excessive fees and publicly naming those practitioners to increase accountability. It also urges governments to fund additional specialist appointments annually in under-serviced areas, and invest $160 million to expand training in undersupplied specialties and rural regions. The RANZCP spokesperson told AAP it supported several of the recommendations, including the need for structural changes to improve the affordability of psychiatric care in private outpatient clinics and consulting rooms. "Medicare is meant to be the backbone of our health system, and yet mental health services are chronically underfunded," they said. Australian Medical Association president Danielle McMullen supports most of Grattan's recommendations, but said removing Medicare funding from specialists who charged excessive fees was not practical. She urged leaders to sort out longer-term funding for public hospitals and develop a health workforce data tracker to show where investment was needed. Federal Health Minister Mark Butler said private health insurers and specialists needed to do more to protect patients from exorbitant bills.
The Advertiser
07-06-2025
- Health
- The Advertiser
Australians urged to address falling vaccination rates
With a marked dip in immunisation rates for flu and COVID-19, Australians are being urged to get the jab before winter sets in. Vaccine coverage for influenza sits at just 24.24 per cent nationally and 14 per cent for those under the age of 50. The take-up of COVID boosters has also dropped away significantly in people aged 75 and over, falling from 38 per cent to 32 per cent in the past 12 months. The Australian Medical Association says people need to prioritise conversations with their GP about vaccination against both conditions as well as the similarly widespread respiratory syncytial virus, especially those at greatest Australia's RSV immunisation program has achieved a 57 per cent reduction in hospitalisations among infants, saving the state's health system up to $6.9 million in hospital costs. AMA President Danielle McMullen says its success highlights the power of evidence-based prevention. "These results show what's possible when we get vaccination right, with more babies being kept out of hospital because their parents chose to protect them," she said on Saturday. "The timing could not be more critical with RSV cases climbing since the start of 2025 and children under five most at risk." Dr McMullen says the drop in COVID and flu jab rates is alarming."New COVID-19 strains continue to circulate leading to increased hospitalisations, making regular boosters essential for maintaining protection against severe illness," she said. "We are particularly concerned by (influenza) vaccination rates among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, which have declined across all age groups." The national RSV prevention program offers free maternal immunisation and targeted infant protection, while annual influenza jabs provide strong protection, with more than 98 per cent of this year's circulating strains matching vaccine components."The evidence is clear, vaccines work," Dr McMullen said. "But vaccines sitting in fridges don't save lives. We need people to pay attention, particularly parents of young children and older Australians." With a marked dip in immunisation rates for flu and COVID-19, Australians are being urged to get the jab before winter sets in. Vaccine coverage for influenza sits at just 24.24 per cent nationally and 14 per cent for those under the age of 50. The take-up of COVID boosters has also dropped away significantly in people aged 75 and over, falling from 38 per cent to 32 per cent in the past 12 months. The Australian Medical Association says people need to prioritise conversations with their GP about vaccination against both conditions as well as the similarly widespread respiratory syncytial virus, especially those at greatest Australia's RSV immunisation program has achieved a 57 per cent reduction in hospitalisations among infants, saving the state's health system up to $6.9 million in hospital costs. AMA President Danielle McMullen says its success highlights the power of evidence-based prevention. "These results show what's possible when we get vaccination right, with more babies being kept out of hospital because their parents chose to protect them," she said on Saturday. "The timing could not be more critical with RSV cases climbing since the start of 2025 and children under five most at risk." Dr McMullen says the drop in COVID and flu jab rates is alarming."New COVID-19 strains continue to circulate leading to increased hospitalisations, making regular boosters essential for maintaining protection against severe illness," she said. "We are particularly concerned by (influenza) vaccination rates among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, which have declined across all age groups." The national RSV prevention program offers free maternal immunisation and targeted infant protection, while annual influenza jabs provide strong protection, with more than 98 per cent of this year's circulating strains matching vaccine components."The evidence is clear, vaccines work," Dr McMullen said. "But vaccines sitting in fridges don't save lives. We need people to pay attention, particularly parents of young children and older Australians." With a marked dip in immunisation rates for flu and COVID-19, Australians are being urged to get the jab before winter sets in. Vaccine coverage for influenza sits at just 24.24 per cent nationally and 14 per cent for those under the age of 50. The take-up of COVID boosters has also dropped away significantly in people aged 75 and over, falling from 38 per cent to 32 per cent in the past 12 months. The Australian Medical Association says people need to prioritise conversations with their GP about vaccination against both conditions as well as the similarly widespread respiratory syncytial virus, especially those at greatest Australia's RSV immunisation program has achieved a 57 per cent reduction in hospitalisations among infants, saving the state's health system up to $6.9 million in hospital costs. AMA President Danielle McMullen says its success highlights the power of evidence-based prevention. "These results show what's possible when we get vaccination right, with more babies being kept out of hospital because their parents chose to protect them," she said on Saturday. "The timing could not be more critical with RSV cases climbing since the start of 2025 and children under five most at risk." Dr McMullen says the drop in COVID and flu jab rates is alarming."New COVID-19 strains continue to circulate leading to increased hospitalisations, making regular boosters essential for maintaining protection against severe illness," she said. "We are particularly concerned by (influenza) vaccination rates among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, which have declined across all age groups." The national RSV prevention program offers free maternal immunisation and targeted infant protection, while annual influenza jabs provide strong protection, with more than 98 per cent of this year's circulating strains matching vaccine components."The evidence is clear, vaccines work," Dr McMullen said. "But vaccines sitting in fridges don't save lives. We need people to pay attention, particularly parents of young children and older Australians." With a marked dip in immunisation rates for flu and COVID-19, Australians are being urged to get the jab before winter sets in. Vaccine coverage for influenza sits at just 24.24 per cent nationally and 14 per cent for those under the age of 50. The take-up of COVID boosters has also dropped away significantly in people aged 75 and over, falling from 38 per cent to 32 per cent in the past 12 months. The Australian Medical Association says people need to prioritise conversations with their GP about vaccination against both conditions as well as the similarly widespread respiratory syncytial virus, especially those at greatest Australia's RSV immunisation program has achieved a 57 per cent reduction in hospitalisations among infants, saving the state's health system up to $6.9 million in hospital costs. AMA President Danielle McMullen says its success highlights the power of evidence-based prevention. "These results show what's possible when we get vaccination right, with more babies being kept out of hospital because their parents chose to protect them," she said on Saturday. "The timing could not be more critical with RSV cases climbing since the start of 2025 and children under five most at risk." Dr McMullen says the drop in COVID and flu jab rates is alarming."New COVID-19 strains continue to circulate leading to increased hospitalisations, making regular boosters essential for maintaining protection against severe illness," she said. "We are particularly concerned by (influenza) vaccination rates among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, which have declined across all age groups." The national RSV prevention program offers free maternal immunisation and targeted infant protection, while annual influenza jabs provide strong protection, with more than 98 per cent of this year's circulating strains matching vaccine components."The evidence is clear, vaccines work," Dr McMullen said. "But vaccines sitting in fridges don't save lives. We need people to pay attention, particularly parents of young children and older Australians."
Perth Now
07-06-2025
- Health
- Perth Now
Australians urged to address falling vaccination rates
With a marked dip in immunisation rates for flu and COVID-19, Australians are being urged to get the jab before winter sets in. Vaccine coverage for influenza sits at just 24.24 per cent nationally and 14 per cent for those under the age of 50. The take-up of COVID boosters has also dropped away significantly in people aged 75 and over, falling from 38 per cent to 32 per cent in the past 12 months. The Australian Medical Association says people need to prioritise conversations with their GP about vaccination against both conditions as well as the similarly widespread respiratory syncytial virus, especially those at greatest Australia's RSV immunisation program has achieved a 57 per cent reduction in hospitalisations among infants, saving the state's health system up to $6.9 million in hospital costs. AMA President Danielle McMullen says its success highlights the power of evidence-based prevention. "These results show what's possible when we get vaccination right, with more babies being kept out of hospital because their parents chose to protect them," she said on Saturday. "The timing could not be more critical with RSV cases climbing since the start of 2025 and children under five most at risk." Dr McMullen says the drop in COVID and flu jab rates is alarming."New COVID-19 strains continue to circulate leading to increased hospitalisations, making regular boosters essential for maintaining protection against severe illness," she said. "We are particularly concerned by (influenza) vaccination rates among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, which have declined across all age groups." The national RSV prevention program offers free maternal immunisation and targeted infant protection, while annual influenza jabs provide strong protection, with more than 98 per cent of this year's circulating strains matching vaccine components."The evidence is clear, vaccines work," Dr McMullen said. "But vaccines sitting in fridges don't save lives. We need people to pay attention, particularly parents of young children and older Australians."
