Sunday, 29 October 2023 10:59
ADDRESSING OVERCROWDED EMERGENCY UNITS
THE NSW Government is addressing overcrowded emergency departments by creating Safe Assessment Units at Prince of Wales and Nepean hospitals. These units will support individuals with behavioral issues related to drugs and alcohol, providing a calm environment for assessment and treatment. A multidisciplinary team will handle patient care. This approach has been successful in improving patient outcomes, reducing sedation and restraint use, and shortening ED stays. The units are set to begin operation early next year, complementing St Vincent's Hospital's existing services, and will coordinate with the community health sector for post-discharge support.
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Sunday, 29 October 2023 10:58
REDUCED ACCESS TO DENTAL CARE
THE Australian Dental Association New South Wales (ADA NSW) is warning about the potential consequences of applying payroll tax to dental practices. With over 23,000 people on the public dental waitlist in regional NSW and a shortage of dentists, the ADA NSW is concerned that imposing payroll tax could lead to increased fees and reduced access to dental care. The Federal Australian Dental Association has called on state leaders to grant dentists the same payroll tax amnesty given to doctors. The ADA NSW estimates that up to 60% of dental practices could be affected, leading to retrospective tax penalties and uncertainty for practice operators.
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Sunday, 29 October 2023 10:56
CAMERAS TO ENFORCE SEATBELT COMPLIANCE
MOBILE phone detection cameras will start enforcing seatbelt compliance in a new safety push aimed at reducing needless deaths on NSW roads each year. The NSW Government will add seatbelt compliance to the work of the existing mobile phone detection camera network after a public awareness campaign and a nine-month period in which warning letters rather than fines will be issued. In the five years to 2022, 142 lives were lost on NSW roads in fatal crashes in which victims were travelling in a vehicle but not wearing a seatbelt. Despite five decades of enforcement and public awareness campaigns, more than 10,000 people a year are still fined for not wearing a seatbelt.
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