3+ week, 1+ day ago (461+ words) A new bulk-billed respiratory clinic for children under six aims to address growing demand for asthma treatment and confusion over how to diagnose and manage respiratory illnesses. Respiratory Care WA has launched the specialist fortnightly clinic to help more families access appropriate treatment for conditions such as early asthma, wheeze and chronic wet cough. It is overseen by paediatric respiratory and sleep specialist Dr James Gibbons, who said the under-six cohort could be challenging to diagnose. "It can sometimes be difficult to figure out exactly what is happening, what is asthma, what isn't asthma, and how do we treat it," he said. "Many kids who are wheezing and coughing go on to develop asthma later in life, but others grow out of their symptoms. Or sometimes they don't have asthma or wheezing but other chronic infections." This was the case…...

1+ day, 13+ hour ago (226+ words) The West Australian is a leading news source in Perth and WA. Breaking local and world news from sport and business to lifestyle and current affairs. Australians in NSW will soon have access for the first time to a digital birth certificate on their mobile phone People aged 16 to 21 will be able to apply for an online certificate from March 2026 under the first stage of the rollout NSW Digital and Customer Services Minister Jihad Dib said the rollout would make it safer and easier for people to confirm their identity "Not only will it help you prove your identity, it will safeguard your information and give you more control of your personal data through better consent and privacy measures," Mr Dib said It will initially only be available for use at Service NSW centres to apply for certain NSW government…...

2+ week, 2+ day ago (270+ words) Dementia has overtaken heart disease to become the leading cause of death for all Australians, according to the latest figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics. Dementia has overtaken heart disease to become the leading cause of death for all Australians, according to the latest figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics More than 17,500 people died from dementia last year " equivalent to roughly one in 10 deaths nationwide That number has been risen by almost 40 per cent in the past decade, predominantly due to the country's ageing population Almost 70 per cent (68.2 per cent) of deaths are in people aged above 75, compared to just 63.3 per cent 20 years ago Dementia is an umbrella term that takes in several neurodegenerative conditions, such as Alzheimer's disease or vascular dementia It's been the leading cause of death for Australian women since 2016, and ABS head of mortality…...

2+ week, 3+ day ago (26+ words) The West Australian is a leading news source in Perth and WA. Breaking local and world news from sport and business to lifestyle and current affairs....

3+ week, 5+ day ago (205+ words) The West Australian is a leading news source in Perth and WA. Breaking local and world news from sport and business to lifestyle and current affairs. Rural Health West WA's biggest professional network has surpassed 5000 members The South West boasts 1325 of the 5000, while there are also strong numbers in the Pilbara region Rural Health West supports members by building communities, hosting conferences and proving health professionals with access to mentoring, networking and professional development opportunities This growth can likely be attributed to the involvement of Statewide partners like St John WA, WA Country Health, Australian Medical Association and the Royal Flying Doctor Service Rural Health West education and engagement general manager Leesa Thomas said the figure demonstrated the role the health professionals network plays in supporting the rural workforce "The HPN's are about more than just numbers It's about building…...

3+ week, 2+ day ago (485+ words) Brave firefighters will swap the fire hose for the stage next weekend to launch the annual Perth Firefighters Calendar. The cheeky calendar is one of the Perth Children's Hospital Foundation's major fundraisers. Since 2008, more than $2.2 million has gone to the burns unit at Perth Children's Hospital to fund life-saving research, equipment and initiatives, including recent research led by burns specialist Professor Fiona Wood. The fireys have a few tricks up their sleeves for the calendar launch party at the Court Hotel next Friday, and have been hard at work rehearsing at Balcatta studio Dance Etc. For Jackson Brown, who's having his calendar debut this year, the nerves about performing are more than worthwhile when the end result is funding research to help the more than 500 kids in WA admitted to hospital with burns each year. "We've been training very, very…...

2+ day, 20+ hour ago (94+ words) Drive Against Depression's final event on the 2025 calendar involves a drive through Brisbane and the Gold Coast, a tour, guest speakers, and a raffle. This will be Drive Against Depression's 10th and final event for 2025, and its second this year to be held in Queensland Various members of the CarExpert team are proud long-time supporters of Drive Against Depression and its events James Wong (Marketplace Editor) is a current charity ambassador, and founder Paul Maric is a former ambassador To learn more about Drive Against Depression, visit the organisation's website here...

6+ day, 3+ hour ago (310+ words) Specialist training and workshops will be heading to Bunbury this month, aiming to provide parents and caregivers with necessary information to improve lives of people with autism. The Autism Association of WA will be in Bunbury from November 24-27, offering training, workshops and consultations to families, educators, health professionals and community organisations. The visit will also include face-to-face family consultations with an experienced therapist. The specialist team has already visited Geraldton, Albany, Esperance, Karratha, Broome, and Kalgoorlie-Boulder as part of a series of regional visits this year. Autism Association CEO Joan McKenna Kerr said the regional visits were vital to responding to the needs of families, teachers and the community. "One of the most important things is to educate the community on what autism is and how to best support autistic people," she said. "There are really good ways of supporting…...

2+ week, 6+ day ago (567+ words) The 2026 Australian of the Year recipients for NSW have been revealed, highlighting four remarkable individuals who are making a difference across the state and around the world. The winners will join their counterparts from other states and territories for the national awards on January 25 next year. The 2026 Australian of the Year for NSW is global humanitarian Dr Alison Thompson OAM. Over her career, Dr Thompson has mobilised more than 30,000 volunteers to deliver aid in disaster zones, helping over 18 million people worldwide. Her journey began on September 11, 2001, when, as an investment banker, she rushed to New York's World Trade Center with a first aid kit, staying nine months to provide relief. Since then, Dr Thompson founded Third Wave Volunteers, a global network of first responders delivering humanitarian aid to war-torn and disaster-struck regions including Ukraine, Syria, Afghanistan, and Sri Lanka. After…...

2+ week, 6+ day ago (785+ words) Fresh pressure is mounting on the State and Federal governments to end the "postcode lottery" in cancer treatment services, with a petition calling for subsidised radiation therapy in Perth's east now signed by more than 1800 people. Currently there are no public radiation oncology services available in the Perth Hills region, meaning patients in areas like Midland, Kalamunda, Wooroloo, and surrounding suburbs must travel to Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital for treatment or face significant out-of-pocket costs at private facilities. However, patients in Mandurah, Rockingham, and surrounding areas needing radiation oncology can access treatment through local private providers under a public'private partnership, with Medicare covering up to 90 per cent of the cost. Liberal MP Adam Hort, the Member for Kalamunda, has opened a petition through Parliament to "draw the attention of the House to the inequity faced by cancer patients in the…...