Digital Mental Health Initiatives Receive Government Funding
The Australian government has recently announced a significant investment of A$135.2 million ($86.5 million) in digital mental health projects. This funding will support 12 mental health services in providing access to digital and online mental health support to individuals in need. One of the programs receiving funding is St. Vincent’s Hospital’s mental health initiative aimed at culturally and linguistically diverse communities.
Robotic Surgery Introduced at The Alfred Hospital
The Alfred Hospital in Melbourne, Victoria has unveiled a new robotic surgical system named “Royce.” This system, known as the da Vinci Xi Surgical System, will assist surgeons in performing minimally invasive procedures for cancer and cardiothoracic cases. Dr. Jeremy Grummet, the director of Urology at The Alfred, anticipates that the robotic system will lead to fewer complications and speedier recovery for patients undergoing surgery. This marks the hospital’s second robotic system, following the introduction of Magellan in 2016.
SA Health Launches Aged Care Placement Queue Dashboard
SA Health has recently introduced a new online portal that displays the queue for placements in residential aged care facilities across South Australia. The portal also provides information on bed occupancy levels in these facilities. This initiative comes in response to a report from the Productivity Commission, which highlighted the extended waiting times for public aged care beds in South Australia. Seniors in the state are currently waiting an average of 253 days for placement, which is double the national average of 136 days. SA Health plans to update the portal weekly to showcase the impact of delays in aged care placement.
