The Health News Australia August 24 2017

Overview

• Pregnant women will soon have access to free mental health assessments during and after pregnancy, under new measures being adopted by the Federal Government. Australian Medical Association president Michael Gannon said early intervention was key to treating postnatal depression.
• Hannah Rye, the young girl who stole everyone’s hearts when she was escorted to her formal by Knights player Trent Hodkinson, has lost her battle with cancer. Earlier this year Hannah and her NRL partner were guests of honour at a special Year ten formal which was brought forward when news came that Hannah’s health was deteriorating.
  
• Australian health experts say baby boomers are abusing drugs and alcohol at an alarming rate despite the fact young people usually get the blame for binge drinking.

News on Health Professional Radio. Today is the 24th of August 2017. Read by Tabetha Moreto. Health News

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-08-23/medicare-to-fund-mental-health-assessments-for-pregnant-women/8833440

Pregnant women will soon have access to free mental health assessments during and after pregnancy, under new measures being adopted by the Federal Government. Australian Medical Association president Michael Gannon said early intervention was key to treating postnatal depression. He said that healthy mothers who are functioning well are more likely to take good care of their babies and not a year goes by where we don’t learn more and more about the importance of the first one thousand days of a child’s life. From November, pregnant women will receive free mental health assessments during their pregnancy and within two months of giving birth. That was one of dozens of recommendations made by a taskforce set up to examine the Medicare Benefits Schedule.

For Australians in rural areas, finding follow-up treatment after surgery can often be difficult. Under the current system, only specialists are able to bill Medicare for post-surgery consultations. But under the Government decision to change the rules, General Practitioners will now also be paid. Obstetrician and gynaecologist Doctor Vijay Roach, founder of the Gidget Foundation, said there had always been a focus on the physical issues during pregnancy. But he said this was a step in the right direction of acknowledging mental health was also an essential component of any women’s health.
So, under the current rules if a patient sees a surgeon or has an operation, the cost of any aftercare such as wound dressings or consultations is covered in the fee the surgeon charges.

http://www.theherald.com.au/story/4870580/brave-and-beautiful-hannah-will-be-remembered/?cs=303

Hannah Rye, the young girl who stole everyone’s hearts when she was escorted to her formal by Knights player Trent Hodkinson, has lost her battle with cancer. Kurri Kurri High School broke the news to the community on Facebook. The post states: “As you are aware we lost our beautiful Hannah last night. We will all be grieving and I ask for you all to be kind to one another and help support our students and community through this tough time. If anyone feels they need time out or someone to talk to please see a teacher and ask for help.”

The school has provided support to Hannah and her family since she was diagnosed with Ewing’s Sarcoma when she was just thirteen-years-old. Earlier this year Hannah and her NRL partner were guests of honour at a special Year ten formal which was brought forward when news came that Hannah’s health was deteriorating.

At the time her school principal Tracey Breese, said the formal was the result of an overwhelming community and school effort and one that would create many beautiful memories for Hannah and her family.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-08-23/baby-boomers-hitting-the-bottle-and-bongs-at-alarming-levels/8831840

Young people usually get the blame for binge drinking, but Australian health experts say it’s their parents and grandparents who are abusing drugs and alcohol at an alarming rate. Binge drinking on the rise among those over the age of forty and  Australians over fifty also have higher rates of illicit drug use than younger people. In the UK and Australia, binge drinking is on the decline among all age groups — except those over the age of forty.

“Alcohol misuse in the older population may increase further as baby boomers get older because of their more liberal views towards, and higher use of, alcohol,” researchers wrote in the British Medical Journal. However, scientists found baby boomers were not just hitting the bottle harder than their children. Australians over fifty also have higher rates of illicit drug use than younger people.

Scientists say that in Australia, the largest percentage increase in drug misuse between two thousand thirteen and two thousand sixteen was among people aged sixty and over, with this age group mainly misusing prescription drugs. Cannabis use among older people is also startlingly high.

Alcohol consumption is known to increase a person’s chances of developing cancer of the liver, mouth, bowel and breast.