The Health News – 9 May 2017

Overview:

• The Federal Court found online companies Joystick, Social-Lites and ‘Elusion’ all made e-cigarettes that contained carcinogens and toxins, despite advertising the products as safe. The companies as well as two directors and one CEO have been ordered to pay penalties ranging from $10,000 to $50,000, totalling $175,000.

• Shifting from the current Royal Adelaide Hospital (RAH) site to the new one will require a command centre, an ambulance fleet and special traffic controls as patients are transported from one end of North Terrace in the CBD to the other in early September.

• The Health Care Complaints Commission has released its 2015-16 annual report, showing A record number of people in New South Wales were unhappy with medical treatments – 6,075 complaints were received over the time period. The commission’s report attributed the increase of complaints to factors including patients taking greater control of their health care, social media, population growth and an ageing population.

News on Health Professional Radio. Today is the  8th of May 2017. Read by Rebecca Foster. Health News

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-05-08/three-vaping-retailers-slapped-with-175k-in-court-fines/8506500

The consumer watchdog has chalked up a win against three e-cigarettes companies, with a court finding they misled customers about toxins in their products.

The Federal Court found online companies Joystick, Social-Lites and ‘Elusion’ all made e-cigarettes that contained carcinogens and toxins, despite advertising the products as safe.

The companies as well as two directors and one CEO have been ordered to pay penalties ranging from $10,000 to $50,000, totalling $175,000.

It is believed to be the first time a regulator anywhere in the world has successfully taken action for false and misleading claims about carcinogens in e-cigarettes.

Ms Rickard said the ACCC had written to over 30 e-cigarette suppliers to “remind them of their obligations under the law”.

“So it is an area that we’re watching closely,” Ms Rickard said.

The ACCC has tested e-cigarettes from a number of different brands to find out the level of toxins in the products.

“Joystick, Social-Lites and Elusion were the worst of them, which is why we took action in these particular matters,” Ms Rickard said.

Social-Lites and Elusion have both published a corrective advertisement on their websites.

Joystick appears to no longer operate an Australian website.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-05-08/how-the-royal-adelaide-hospital-will-be-moved/8506564

Shifting from the current Royal Adelaide Hospital (RAH) site to the new one will require a command centre, an ambulance fleet and special traffic controls as patients are transported from one end of North Terrace in the CBD to the other in early September.

About 6,000 staff, 1,000 students and volunteers, and more than 60 clinical services and specialties will be shifted to the western end of North Terrace in the CBD from the current site at the eastern end.

Many government departments and agencies, including transport, as well as local government are involved in the planning and actual move.

The ambulance service, police and the fire brigade will all have roles to play, the State Government says.

Best travel routes are being identified and traffic control measures are being considered.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-05-08/nsw-healthcare-complaints-on-the-rise/8505720

A record number of people in New South Wales were unhappy with medical treatments they received in 2015-16, a report from the Health Care Complaints Commission (HCCC) shows.

The independent body has released its 2015-16 annual report, which shows 6,075 complaints were received over the time period.

That is up 15.4 per cent from the previous year and was an increase of 47.1 per cent since 2011-12.

Medical practitioners were the most complained about, before dentists, nurses and midwives, pharmacists and psychologists.

Of the issues raised concerning medical practitioners, 39 per cent related to general medicine and 12 per cent to surgery.

The number of complaints relating to psychologists increased by 19 per cent on the previous year.

The Opposition’s health spokesman Walt Secord described the figures as alarming.

The commission’s report attributed the increase of complaints to factors including patients taking greater control of their health care, social media, population growth and an ageing population.

A state parliamentary inquiry will review the report …