The Australian government has unveiled an A$135.2 million ($86.5 million) investment aimed at enhancing digital mental health services. A total of 12 mental health programs will benefit from the funding, including St. Vincent’s Hospital’s mental health initiative, which targets culturally and linguistically diverse communities. The investment is part of a broader effort to expand access to digital and online mental health support for Australians in need.
The Alfred Hospital Introduces Robotic Surgery System
Melbourne’s The Alfred Hospital has launched a state-of-the-art robotic surgical system at its surgical centre. The hospital’s newly acquired da Vinci Xi Surgical System, nicknamed “Royce” after the institution’s former director of Urology, will assist surgeons in performing a variety of minimally invasive procedures, particularly in cancer and cardiothoracic surgeries. Jeremy Grummet, associate professor and director of Urology, anticipates that the robotic system will reduce surgical complications and promote faster recovery times for patients. This marks The Alfred’s second robotic system, following the introduction of the Magellan system in 2016.
SA Health Launches Aged Care Placement Queue Dashboard
SA Health has launched a new online portal providing real-time updates on the queue for residential aged care placements across South Australia. The portal, which also tracks bed occupancy in local facilities, aims to address concerns raised in a recent Productivity Commission report. The report revealed that South Australia faces the longest waiting times for public aged care placements in the country, with seniors waiting an average of 253 days—double the national average of 136 days. SA Health’s new dashboard will be updated weekly to highlight delays and provide greater transparency regarding aged care placements in the state.
