The Health News – 4 July 2016

Overview:
• Three new cases of measles over the past four days in Victoria are believed to be linked, with health officials warning of an increase in the risk of a significant outbreak. The new cases raised concerns that there were now multiple undetected cases in the community potentially spreading the infection, Victoria’s acting chief health officer Finn Romanes said.

• The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) is now formally being rolled out nationwide. Providers believe under the arrangements they will have to fight to attract and keep business, and marketing and advertising expenses will rise. In some states including Tasmania, the rollout will be staged, with Tasmanians aged between 12 and 14 eligible for the NDIS for the first time.

• Of 500 respondents across the ACT public sector, 40 per cent said their workload had increased significantly over the past 18 months, and 31 per cent said the increase was dramatic enough to impact their health. CPSU regional secretary Vince McDevitt said the Government had been running down the local public service in a bid to save money.

News on Health Professional Radio. Today is the  4th of July 2016. Read by Rebecca Foster. Health News

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-07-02/risk-of-a-significant-measles-outbreak-in-victoria/7563550

Three new cases of measles over the past four days in Victoria are believed to be linked, with health officials warning of an increase in the risk of a “significant” outbreak.

The new cases raised concerns that there were now “multiple undetected cases in the community potentially spreading the infection,” Victoria’s acting chief health officer Finn Romanes said.

Dr Romanes said the three include a young woman whose case was made public on Friday.

She had been in Shepparton, at Southern Cross Station and Melbourne Airport between June 21-25 when she was infectious.

She was also in Queensland.

All of those contracting the illness were between 18 and 30 and had not travelled overseas.

However it can be brought in by travellers from overseas.

There is no direct connection between the three cases, but investigations suggested the measles had possibly spread to Geelong, the Surf Coast, the western, north-western suburbs of Melbourne and the inner city.

“Our concern is that there was a person or persons who probably had travelled overseas, and have since unknowingly passed on measles to these three people in the western suburbs and Barwon area — and there may be more,” Dr Romanes said.

Measles has an incubation period of about 18 days and the people were probably exposed through contact with the three cases from mid-to late June.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-07-02/cut-throat-compeition-tipped-for-tasmanian-disability-sector/7563144

The biggest shakeup of Tasmania’s disability sector could result in some cut-throat competition, providers say.

The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) is now formally being rolled out nationwide.

Providers believe under the arrangements they will have to fight to attract and keep business, and marketing and advertising expenses will rise.

In some states including Tasmania, the rollout will be staged, with Tasmanians aged between 12 and 14 eligible for the NDIS for the first time.

Chief executive of Hobart City Mission John Stubley said the NDIS would encourage competition between providers.

Under the NDIS, the traditional funding model for disability services is being turned on its head.

As disability companies and charities start competing with each other to cater for people with disabilities, many are anticipating mergers and acquisitions.

For the first time, Tasmanian disability support providers are thinking about marketing, billboards, TV and online ads …

Chief executive of Baptcare in Tasmania Catherine Viney said it was going to be hard work.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-07-01/act-public-servants-working-themselves-sick/7561738

More than 30 per cent of ACT public servants have reported an increase in sick days linked to ballooning workloads, according to a Community and Public Sector Union survey.

Of 500 respondents across the ACT public sector, 40 per cent said their workload had “increased significantly” over the past 18 months, and 31 per cent said the increase was dramatic enough to impact their health.

CPSU regional secretary Vince McDevitt said the Government had been “running down” the local public service in a bid to save money.

“That’s resulted in a range of measures which have seen … people dealing with workloads that are ever increasing,” he said.

“We’ve got hundreds of members indicating they’re having real problems dealing with workload, to the extent that it’s causing stress at home with the family.

More than 30 per cent of respondents to the survey also said time pressures at work caused them to skip meal breaks, and 21 per cent said their workload was “very difficult” to complete inside normal working hours.

A majority also said their workplace had undergone a restructure in the past 18 months, with increased workloads a common result.

Mr McDevitt said the increases were not sustainable, and warned that it could impact on productivity in the long run.