Health

A Sydney GP working in the suburbs hardest hit by bushfire smoke plaguing NSW has said she is devastated for her patients, many of them unable to afford air filters, air-conditioning or masks. Dr Kim Loo works in Rouse Hill, which along with Richmond and St Mary’s on Tuesday recorded some of the highest levels of ultra-fine PM2.5 particles, small enough to enter the lungs and bloodstream. On Tuesday afternoon the 24-hour average index for Rouse Hill stood at 430, with anything above 200 rated “hazardous”. Levels ranged as high as 2,200 in some Sydney suburbs on Tuesday. Bathurst, Orange, Armidale and Goulburn also experienced hazardous air quality. “My poor patients, many live on the margins of poverty,” a tearful Loo told Guardian Australia. “They live in houses that aren’t sealed. I know there are guidelines telling people to stay inside if they have certain health conditions, but that’s no good if your house isn’t sealed and you … [Read more...] about NSW bushfires: doctors sound alarm over ‘disastrous’ impact of smoke on air pollution

A sign painted above the intake section of Australia's largest prison – the Metropolitan Remand and Reception Centre, west of Sydney – greets every new inmate. 'Welcome to the MRRC. Respect every person you meet in here, and they will also respect you,' it says. Respect in this place can be hard won. Another sign on a cell door says of the wild-haired inmate wearing only underpants staring out from inside: 'Use caution, assaulted nurse on 07/06/17.' That date has then been crossed out and '25/06/17' added. Scroll down for video  One inmate shows off while another hides his face at the Metropolitan Remand and Reception Centre, west of Sydney This mentally-ill inmate came to his cell door at Silverwater prison dressed only in underpants then hid under his blanket Officers stick warnings about violent inmates outside their cell doors at the Metropolitan Remand and Reception Centre 'I shouldn't be in here': This inmate pleaded with Daily Mail Australia to get him … [Read more...] about Twenty years’ hard labour: From sex in the visiting centre to bikies ruling the roost – the changing scenes staff face inside Australia’s largest prison

I was in Venice when the acqua alta struck on 28 October 2018. I noted in my diary: “It happened today. The first big acqua alta of the year, with a siren at 09.17, followed by two steady tones. One tone is for 1.1 metres, two 1.2 metres, three 1.3 metres and four 1.4 metres or more. The tidal chart says the level should peak just after noon. At 12.30 I put on my green rubber boots. Stepping out along the canals, I found the water above my ankles and immediately had to re-learn how to walk. Walking at normal speed causes the water to splash over your boots and on to your legs. I slowed down, finding I also needed to watch out for little waves from the boats on the canal, which rode up right over the submerged pavement. “Tourists used bin bags or fluorescent pink plastic booties over their shoes, walked barefoot or just got their shoes wet. Judging by the laughs and picture taking, high water looked fun, but not for the tourists who held heavy suitcases to their chests to … [Read more...] about Deep trouble: can Venice hold back the tide?

Representatives from seven parties took part in a Question Time special with an audience of 18 to 30-year-olds.BBC Reality Check looked at some of their claims during the 90 minute-long debate in York.The Conservatives' Robert Jenrick said: "We've built 450,000 affordable homes in this country since 2010. That's more on average per year than the Labour government did before us from 1997 to 2010."Reality check: It's true that since 2010 about 450,000 affordable homes have been added to the housing supply in England. Not all of them are newly built - some have been converted from commercial properties or by splitting one dwelling up into two or more. That is slightly more on average a year than the previous Labour government - 50,107 a year compared with 42,854 between 1997 and 2010.But these figures cover all types of affordable housing including homes for social rent. And that means looking at the total number of affordable houses added each year doesn't tell the whole story. Since … [Read more...] about General election 2019: Question Time under-30s fact-checked

Talking to voters around the country two big issues have had the elusive "cut through" in this campaign - the Tories promise to take us out of the EU at the end of next month and Labour's attack on their handling of the NHS. Of course, other subjects have been part of the conversation but those are the issues that have come up most often during the last few weeks when we've been travelling around the country. And in every election in recent history, the Labour Party has tried to sow doubts in voters' minds about whether or not the Tories can be trusted with the health service at all.That's why Boris Johnson's terrible day on the campaign trail today matters. Johnson criticised over reaction to sick boy imageSadly, it's all too common for newspapers to feature terrible stories of patients' bad experiences in the health service. What was unusual today is how Boris Johnson was asked by an ITV Calendar reporter, Joe Pike, about the photograph of four-year-old Jack, who had been pictured on … [Read more...] about General election 2019: Boris Johnson’s bad day shows election not over